


ARC-V: Battle of Four Worlds

by Tohka_Yatogami



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 52,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24983320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tohka_Yatogami/pseuds/Tohka_Yatogami
Summary: (Imported from fanfiction.net)Four different dimensions, and four different worlds. Separate from each other yet connected by a game of cards. As the Pendulum officially swings into the world of Duel Monsters for the first time, these worlds will be brought together as something beyond any one of them rises up to fight. Get ready... to Duel!
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**I didn't think that I'd do a story for a card game anime this early, but I had this idea swinging around my head like a pendulum, so here it is... my epic idea of a Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V story! Helping me for the ride will be my friend and fellow author, Shini Kurogane, who will help me with any changes to canon duels, new duels, or any non-canon cards, since the latter two will be rarer at the earlier parts of the story.**

**Anyways, to explain the summary a little more than I was able to because of character limits? This is an AU take on canon, starting after the duel between Shun and Sora ends in the former's victory, though with a few minor differences in the episodes before it. I'll withhold saying more until the end notes, as this chapter is mainly about on the general changes from canon.**

**Now, since I'm new and very unused to writing a Yu-Gi-Oh story, updates will be slow until I can find my ground. Another reason for my slow progress will be that my partner above is currently busy IRL, and there are some duels that I'll need to make from scratch sooner than later, but he doesn't have enough free time until somewhere this Spring. Once things get settled on both on our ends, I'll make sure to let you all know.**

**That's all I can really say without giving anything away, so let the story begin!**

**P.S: I will be using everyone's original names, as I'm more familiar with them.**

* * *

**[Chapter 1 - Altered Pendulum, Part 1]**

Yuya stood before Sora, who had his Death-Toy Scissors Bear on the field, and his dark-colored lookalike known as Yuto, who was currently about to Xyz Summon a familiar Monster of his.

_"Formed from pitch-black darkness, come and fight those foolish enough to oppose us with your treacherous talons!"_ He chanted.

**"XYZ SUMMON!"**

The light of his summon began to complete itself, slowly revealing the Dark Dragon as its body formed and its eyes let out a slight glow.

"Now descend! Rank 7, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Yuto announced.

One of its Overlay Units flew towards it mouth, devouring it, and causing its wings to extend as they generated blue-colored lightning.

**"Treason Discharge!"**

The lightning became rings that bound Death-Toy Scissors in place, stealing some of its power before transferring to Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, making it grow stronger.

"Battle! I attack Death-Toy Scissors Bear with Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Yuto ordered.

Lightning spread onto his Dragon's wings, gaining a resemblance to a pair of membranes that were the same blue color as its lightning, prompting it to charge ahead with its long fangs as they began glowing.

**"Lightning Rebellion Disobey!"**

Death-Toy Scissor Bear was struck by its glowing fangs, and immediately exploded, causing Sora to scream as he was thrown back.

Yuya's eyes widened at the sight, with his Pendulum slightly bouncing as a slight gleam of light briefly flashed across it.

"Sora!" Yuya shouted, rushing to him.

He would have never believed everything he had been seeing these last few days, if it hadn't been for the fact that, like right now, he was seeing them with his own eyes.

His mind flashed to the beginning of it all... the day where he was the first to discover and use a Pendulum Monster.

* * *

_Yuya stood before the towering figure of Barbarian King, and its 5000 ATK points._

_He looked at the ground with a defeated expression, his friends, mother, and Yuzu's father all looking at him with concern._

_'It was hopeless after all... how could I ever take dad's place?' Yuya thought._

**_"When you feel like crying, laugh."_ ** _Yusho's voice echoed encouragingly._

_His eyes widened as he heard that, remembering when he was a kid, when his father tried to cheer him up with his signature pendulum necklace._

**_"The more you push, the more it'll come back. If you're frozen in fear..."_ ** _Yusho's voice continued encouraging._

_Yuya stood back on his feet._

_"You can't do anything. Have courage and step forward... if you want to win!" He shouted, his determination renewed._

_If he couldn't win this duel? He would at least go down having played it to his very last card, and readied himself to draw it._

_At that same moment? An unseen flash of red light suddenly glowed from his pendulum._

_"My turn, draw!" Yuya exclaimed._

_His pendulum suddenly flashed red and blue, getting everyone's attention before out of nowhere, the decks of various people began to glow. This caught the crowd's attention as Yuya saw both ends of his Duel Disk and three of his cards flashing._

_"What is this!?" Ishijima questioned._

_Whatever it was, people saw the same happening to their cards, with people examining the Duel System as a precaution._

**_"Play them, Yuya..."_ **

_He was confused by where the voice came from, but had no time to ask as his Astromancy Magician and Chronomancy Magician transformed. Their card frames were now half orange like Effect Monsters and half teal like Spell, with new text between marks that said 1 and 8 respectively._

_"His cards transformed?"_

_"Could that be what's happening to my deck?"_

_"Is this something they planned?"_

_At that moment, he knew what to do, and flashed a confident smile._

_"I set the Pendulum Scale with my Scale 1 Astromancy Magician and my Scale 8 Chronomancy Magician!" Yuya announced._

_Placing them on the ends of his Duel Disk, the word **Pendulum** lit up in a rainbow of letters._

_Two pillars of light soon formed on the field, with the two Magicians appearing within them, their respective scales' numbers manifesting below them as a life-sized version of Yuya's pendulum moved overhead._

_"That's...!" Yuzu gasped._

_The crowd all gave similar reactions._

_"I can now Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time!" He declared._

_Everyone's eyes widen at those words, which is when the Champion's manager made an announcement._

_"Attention, everyone! We're not exactly sure what's going on here, but... according to the Duel System, there are no errors with the move Yuya just did! This action is legal!" Nico Smiley revealed._

_Hearing this was legal, but unheard of? The crowd began watching what Yuya would do next._

_"Swing, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether!" Yuya chanted, the large pendulum creating a work of art like a gateway above him._

**_"PENDULUM SUMMON!"_ **

_The center of that artwork truly became a gate as a red portal formed in the middle._

_"Come forth, my faithful Monsters!" He shouted._

_Three lights fired from the portal and struck the field. The first being a snake-like performer._

**_"Entermate Whip Viper!"_ **

_The second was a swordfish without its signature pointed nose and Elvis hair._

**_"Entermate Sword Fish!"_ **

_Finally, the last Monster was a Red Dragon with heterochromic eyes, but its appearance on the field was much different than the other two._

_It briefly stayed as it was before its eyes glowed and it suddenly transformed, becoming larger and gaining gems on the cream-colored horns growing from its sides._

**_"Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"_ **

_Odd-Eyes let out a roar, with the audience having gone silent at the Monster that had clearly been his Odd-Eyes Dragon not too long ago._

_"Yuya's Dragon..." Gongenzaka finished._

_"Evolved!" Yuzu began._

_Yuya jumped onto Odd-Eyes' head, holding its horns as he readied his next move._

_"I activate Entermate Whip Viper's effect! Using it, I can switch the Attack and Defense of a Monster on my opponent's field!" Yuya shouted._

_The purple snake swung its tail, revealing a heart that acted like a hypnotic pendant, projecting outlines of its eyes towards Barbarian King._

_The towering Monster fell to its knees, dropping its club and lowering Strong to the ground._

_"Barbarian King... your ATK points are-" Ishijima said in shock._

_"Now I activate Entermate Sword Fish's effect! I can target one Monster on the field, then lower its ATK points by 600!" Yuya continued._

_Multiples of Sword Fish appeared and stabbed Barbarian King, further weakening the once mighty Monster._

_The crowd was heard shouting in response to Yuya's move._

_"In an amazing turnaround, Barbarian King has had its ATK points reduced to a tenth of their former total!" Nico announced._

_"Battle! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Barbarian King! Unleash your new power!" Yuya shouted._

_Odd-Eyes let out its signature roar before rushing ahead across the landscape, quickly approaching Strong. The Champion responded by activating his face down._

_"I won't let you! I activate the Trap card, Barbarian Howling! It returns the attacking Monster to your hand, and deals you its ATK points as damage!" He shouted._

_"I counter with my Chronomancy Magician's Pendulum effect!" Yuya responded._

_His darker-colored Magician extended a gear-like extension from the gauntlet on his right hand, creating the imagery of a clock._

_"One per turn, he negates the activation and effect of a Trap card aimed at one of my Pendulum Monsters!" He revealed._

**_"Inverse Gearwidth!"_ **

_Strong saw his Trap fizzle before placing itself face down again._

_"Shit! Then..." Ishijima replied, turning to locate an Action Card._

_He played it._

_"I play the Action Spell - Evasion!" Ishijima shouted._

_"I counter with my Astromancy Magician's Pendulum effect!" Yuya responded._

_His lighter-colored magician held up his unique weapon and created a constellation effect with it._

_"He has the same effect as Chronomancy Magician, only for negating Spell cards!" He revealed._

**_"Horoscope Divination!"_ **

_A big red X appeared over the Action Spell on Strong's screen._

_He tried to find another Action Card, but by the time he tried looking, Odd-Eyes was already in the air, ready to launch its attack._

_"I can't stop this attack!" He realized._

_Odd-Eyes' mouth opened as it charged dark red energy for an attack._

**_"Spiral Strike Burst!"_ **

_With a flash of its eyes, Odd-Eyes fired a swirling breath attack at Barbarian King._

_"And now I'll activate Odd-Eyes' effect! When it successfully deals battle damage, then that damage is doubled!" Yuya revealed._

_"Doubled!?" Ishijima repeated._

_The teal gems on Odd-Eyes' horns began to glow, causing the fiery red breath to double in size, gaining an orange flare around the edges._

**_"Reaction Force!"_ **

_Raising its club, the weakened Barbarian King tried to defend itself, but was easily destroyed. Strong was sent flying with his back facing the ground, turning slightly before landing on his stomach as his Life Points hit zero._

_Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon landed on the ground, letting out one last roar._

_"This is... **The End!** " Yuya declared._

_Silence followed as the crowd let what they saw sink in, with the Action Field and Odd-Eyes disappearing as Yuya landed on the ground. This stayed unchanged until..._

_"Did I... did I really just-" Yuya asked, almost unsure if he was dreaming or not._

_"Yuya!"_

_He turned his head, looking at where his friends were watching, and seeing it was his mother who called his name._

_"You won against Strong Ishijima for your father! Well done!" Yoko exclaimed._

_"It was awesome Yuya!" Yuzu cheered._

_"You did it!" Gongenzaka shouted._

_"My blood is boiling!" Shuzo screamed in happiness._

_Yuya's eyes widened as he heard the crowd start cheering, and realized this was no dream._

_"That was rad Yuya!"_

_"To think you actually won against the reigning champion!"_

_A young boy with blue hair smiled at what he just saw._

_"Do you think he discovered a new kind of summoning?"_

_"If he did, then it must be his school's Entertainment Dueling that discovered it!"_

_From that day, many Duelists found their decks now had Pendulum Monsters, and only the slightest idea of how to use them. Many applicants would end up joining You Show Duel School as a result of this._

_Unfortunately, this had its own consequences that no one understood at the time. The world formerly known as the Standard Dimension was now the Pendulum Dimension, and just as a Pendulum moved both left and right, this caught the attention of good people... **and** bad people._

* * *

_Yuzu stood before a Duelist covering his appearance with a face mask and goggles, and while his ownership of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon revealed the Duelist as Yuto? This was before anyone knew his name or who he was._

_Having just summoned the Monster, his opponent, Shingo Sawatari, could only judge it by comparing it to his Monster and clapped his hands, doing so in a mixture of praise and mockery._

_"I'll admit that I'm impressed with how quickly you summoned that Monster, but it's no match for my Mobius, so I won't fall for your Xyz bluff." He smirked._

_"That will be your first mistake." Yuto replied._

_Sawatari raised an eye at that, watching as Dark Rebellion devoured one of its Overlay Units._

_"I activate Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's effect! By using one of its Overlay Units, I can halve the attack of one my opponent's Monsters, and then Dark Rebellion gains those ATK points!" Yuto revealed._

**_"Treason Discharge!"_ **

_Sawatari screamed at that, watching as the Dark Dragon's wings repeated their action from his eventual duel with Sora, siphoning the power of Mobius._

_"Unfortunately for you, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon has no limitation to how many times it can use its effect, so I'll use its remaining Overlay Unit and use its effect again!" Yuto revealed._

**_"Treason Discharge!"_ **

_The binds on Mobius glowed even brighter, now having more electricity binding it in place._

_"Such a powerful effect!" Yuzu exclaimed._

_"How is this happening!?" Sawatari asked._

_"Battle! I attack Mobius the Mega Monarch with Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Yuto ordered._

_Dark Rebellion's wings let up as it charged towards the weakened Mobius, just like with Death-Toy Scissor Bear._

**_"Lightning Rebellion Disobey!"_ **

_Mobius was struck by Dark Rebellion's fangs, but lasted longer before ultimately exploding. Sawatari was thrown towards the wall, like he was in an Action Duel, while Yuto rushed to keep Yuzu safe as a flying rock struck the left lens of his goggles, leaving them cracked._

_As the dust settled, the damage to the area was clear, especially the few fires that had somehow formed in a few spots._

_"What the hell is this!? It's not an Action Field, but we felt the impact!" Otomo panicked._

_"Did his Monster's power send us flying?" Kakimoto questioned._

_"This is bad..." Yamabe realized._

_Yuto walked up to Sawatari, then stopped a few feet away from him, holding up an LDS badge._

_"I will only ask you once, so you better answer me properly. Is this from LDS?" He inquired._

_"Y-Yes." Sawatari replied._

_"And what is your connection to Duel Academy?" Yuto asked._

_Sawatari was confused by that._

_"Duel Academy? What are you talking about?" He questioned._

_"Don't play dumb with me!" Yuto warned._

_"I-I'm not! Anyone who's enrolled in LDS has a badge like that! I honestly don't know anything about this Duel Academy or whatever!" Sawatari replied, promising he was being honest with his answer._

_Yuto stared at him, realizing he was telling the truth._

_"Then I have no business with you. This was a waste of time." He replied._

_Sawatari was insulted by that, and decided to use this chance to make him pay for his remark._

_"I activate the Trap card, Ice Rage Shot! This card activates when a WATER-attribute Monster on my field is destroyed by battle! Now, I can destroy your Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and deal you its ATK points as damage!" He smirked._

_His flunkies smiled while Yuzu gasped, though Yuto himself... didn't seem to react at all, or at least on the same level as them._

_"I read your moves and planned ahead by setting this Trap, and now I've won!" Sawatari declared._

_"That cheap move is mere child's play." Yuto replied._

_"What did you say!?" Sawatari demanded, feeling a little nervous._

_Yuto raised a hand._

_"From my Graveyard, I activate a Spell card, Phantom Death Spear." He revealed._

_Sawatari remembered the last time he did this, and felt himself start to sweat._

_"When my opponent activates a Trap card, by Banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can destroy and negate it..." Yuto revealed._

_Ice Rage Shot burst apart._

_"And then, I can deal you 100 points of damage!" He continued._

_Sawatari went blue, since that was all the Life Points he had left._

_"Wait! Can't we talk-" He repeated._

_"Experience the rage and sorrow of the battlefield! Phantom Death Spear, finish him off!" Yuto ordered._

_The spear fired, and Sawatari screamed as he moved away, leaving it to only pierce a hole in his jacket as his Life Points hit zero._

_Silence followed as the Phantom Death Spear and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon vanished into the air. Yuto then chose to remove his face mask, causing one flame to reveal he had an identical, or at least nearly identical face to Yuya's!_

_However, everyone present mistook him for Yuya himself, as if they couldn't see the slight differences without the real Yuya present._

_"It was... you?" Sawatari breathed, right before he passed out._

_His flunkies panicked and rushed over to help him, while Yuzu walked up to Yuto._

_"Yuya?" She said, her tone both shocked and horrified due to what she had seen._

_Hearing that name surprised Yuto somewhat._

_"Yuzu!" Yuya's voice shouted._

_Yuzu felt her eyes widen as she recognized that voice, right as Yuto saw her bracelet glow, allowing him to notice how different it looked from what he remembered._

_'You aren't Ruri...' He thought sadly._

_It was at that moment he chose to leave, leaving Yuzu unaware of the fact as she noticed her glowing bracelet, which started to fade as Yuya ran inside the building._

_"Yuzu, are you OK?" He asked._

_"Huh? Oh, I'm alright! Thanks to-" She replied._

_She then noticed Yuto had vanished._

_"Wait, where did he..." Yuzu asked, looking around for him._

_After failing to find him, she looked at Yuya again._

_"Yuya, did you see anyone who looked like you run outside before you came in?" She asked._

_"Looked like me? What are you talking about?" He asked, having not seen Yuto at all._

_Yuzu looked back at the damage, which Yuya finally noticed._

_"Why are there fires in here!?" He panicked._

_'What's going on here?' Yuzu thought, wondering why Yuto had tried to protect her._

_This incident had caused the chairwoman of LDS, better known as Himika Akaba, to try and acquire You Show Duel School under the belief that the Duelist who attacked Sawatari had actually been Yuya._

_Three Duelists from each side competed to decide if the charges would be dropped, or You Show would be acquired by LDS, with Yuya winning against the Xyz Duelist known as Hokuto Shijima, the Fusion Duelist known as Masumi Kotsu winning against Yuzu, and Gongenzaka and the Synchro Duelist known as Yaiba Todo having a draw._

_A tie breaker was then held between Yuya and Himika's son, Reiji Akaba, but the duel was called off when another LDS Duelist was attacked, which proved Yuya's innocence._

_Little did anyone know... that was the moment the shadow cast by the light of Pendulum Monsters had appeared._

* * *

_Yuto jumped down from the ceiling, now only wearing his goggles, catching everyone's attention as he grabbed onto his friend's Duel Disk._

_"Shun, stop being so reckless! This isn't our battlefield!" Yuto shouted._

_"This is MY battlefield! In order to get Ruri back, I have to do this!" Shun shouted, pulling down his scarf._

_He swung his arm at his friend._

_"If you get in my way, then I'll defeat you as well!" He warned._

_Masumi quickly contacted Yaiba and Hokuto, letting them know who she had found._

_"I've found the culprit behind the assault incidents! Send for back up, now!" She shouted._

_"Hey, don't say that out loud! You're basically telling him to run away!" Yuzu shouted._

_Shun gasped as he saw Yuzu, which Yuto quickly noticed._

_"Ruri?" He said in disbelief._

_Yuzu was surprised by that, seeing Shun remove his glasses._

_"Why are you here Ruri? Did you manage to get away on your own?" He asked._

_Before Yuzu could reply, Yuto punched Shun in the stomach._

_"Yuto, why did you-?" Shun questioned, looking at Yuto with a betrayed glance._

_"She's... not Ruri..." Yuto replied sadly._

_Shun was confused, then took a closer look at Yuzu, and finally noticed she wasn't his little sister. Admittedly, it may have only been because of Yuto's somber tone that he even managed to do so._

_He collapsed from the strike to his stomach, causing Yuto to pull him over his shoulder._

_"Wait, who's Ruri!?" Yuzu asked._

_She didn't get an answer as Yuto fled the scene, making her gasp._

_'Could this be like when I mistook him for Yuya?' Yuzu thought._

_There were too many questions popping up, and whenever a chance for answers came, they lost it before they could take it. The only clear thing was someone looked like Yuya and Yuzu._

_Whatever Yuto and Shun were a part of, they saw the LDS as their enemy, likely assuming they had taken the girl known as Ruri for some unknown reason._

* * *

_Yuzu stood before Yuto, who had stopped her from going after Masumi, who was with Yaiba and Hokuto as they dueled against Shun in a 3 vs 1 duel._

_"Just who are you? I want answers!" She demanded._

_"I..." Yuto replied, not sure if he should answer her._

_Unfortunately, after having seen him twice, and after he ran away the second time before she could ask him any questions? Yuzu was having none of it._

_"And most of all, why does this Ruri you mentioned look like me!?" She demanded, shouting this time._

_Yuto's eyes widened at that. With a question like that, trying to stay silent was now completely pointless._

_"She's one of many comrades we're trying to save from the organization known as Duel Academy. Ruri is Shun's little sister, and... my dearest person." He revealed._

_Yuzu let out a quiet gasp at that._

_"And you think Leo Duel School is connected to them?" She asked._

_"They might be, considering they have the same badge." Yuto answered._

_He then closed his eyes._

_"As for why you look like Ruri... even I don't have an answer for that. The only thing I can say is you look like twins, and you both were similar bracelets." He continued._

_That answer wasn't what Yuzu was hoping for, but it seemed like since she couldn't explain the resemblance between Yuya and Yuto, it wasn't too surprising. At the very least, Yuto decided to officially reveal his name to Yuzu, so she now somewhat knew who he was._

_Though now she had questions about this Duel Academy he spoke of. Just who were they, and did they really have a link to LDS like Yuto believed?_

* * *

_Shun and Sora were seen dueling each other, with Shun having no Monsters while his Raid Raptor - Blaze Falcon was on Sora's field alongside his Death-Toy Mad Chimera._

_However, despite the odds seeming to favor Sora's victory? That was all about to change._

_"I play the Spell card, Rank-Up-Magic Revolution Force! This lets me take control of an Xyz Monster on your field..." Shun revealed._

_"What!?" Sora shouted, seeing it return to Shun's field._

_Blaze Falcon returned to Shun's side, then screeched._

_"And then summon a Raid Raptor monster that's a Rank higher than it!" He continued._

_His Monster was enveloped in a flame as it began to evolve into a new form._

_"Prideful Falcon, spread your wings dyed in the blood of heroes! Advance through the path of revolution!" Shun chanted._

**_"Rank-Up Xyz Change!"_ **

_The new Raid Raptor monster was similar to its preceding Xyz Monsters, having a black color scheme and no legs._

**_"Raid Raptor - Revolution Falcon!"_ **

_Once they saw it, the crowd began to shiver, due to the few things that had already occurred in this duel, with even Sora showing brief surprise at it._

_"I don't believe this! Shun's managed to evolve his Xyz Monster even further!" Nico Smiley announced._

_Sora was quick to give a smug smirk at the so-called stronger Monster._

_"All this talk about revolutions and it only has 2000 ATK points? You can't destroy my Mad Chimera with that!" He mocked._

_"Are you sure?" Shun smirked._

_"I'm not falling for your bluff! You don't have any set cards on the field to use, and that was the last card in your hand!" Sora continued, still confident in his victory._

_"Stop it Sora! Don't provoke him!" Yuya begged._

_Sora ignored him, which is when Shun took action._

_"Revolution Falcon's effect activates! When this card is Xyz Summoned by Ranking Up a Raid Raptors monster, by using one Overlay Unit, it destroys one of your Monsters... and then you take half of its ATK points as damage!" He revealed._

_Sora's eyes widened as the Overlay Unit was absorbed into Revolution Falcon's body, and the Monster flew overhead of Mad Chimera._

_It unleashed its hidden weaponry and bombed the entire field, causing massive damage to it as Mad Chimera was caught in the explosive flames, forcing Sora to run away... and not notice a tower on the Action Field start falling towards him._

_"Sora!" Yuya shouted, next to a gasping Yuzu._

_Luckily, the Action Field guaranteed the damage wasn't anything lethal, but the nature of the duel meant he wasn't unscathed either._

_There was no cheering from the crowd, just stares that tried to understand what they had just seen._

_"T-The winner of this duel is... Shun Kurosaki!" Nico announced._

_After that, Sora got up and demanded another duel, but was denied. He was quickly taken to a hospital, later prompting Yuya, Yuzu, and Gongenzaka to try and figure out the connection he had with Shun._

_It eventually led to Yuto sneaking into his hospital room, and the two running off somewhere. Yuya eventually found them dueling, leading them to right now, where some of the many questions he and Yuzu had... would finally be answered._

* * *

Sora landed on his back, with Yuya rushing over to him.

As he rushed over, the effect of Dark Rebellion came to an end, and its ATK points returned to normal.

Yuya kneeled by Sora's side.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Go away, this is none of your business!" Sora shouted, struggling to lift himself up.

Yuya looked confused by his words.

"What are you talking about? Why did you sneak out of the hospital to duel when you should be recovering!?" Yuya demanded.

An angry Sora began glaring at Yuto.

"Stop making fun of me! Why didn't you use your Dragon's effect more than once!?" He demanded.

"That's enough! If you keep this up, your body will-" Yuya warned.

"Shut up! I'm nowhere near finished! I'll prove that when I get serious, I'm the stronger one!" Sora screamed.

"What are you talking about? There's always next time, like in the next tournament." Yuya replied.

"There is no next time! In a real battle, you don't get a second chance!" Sora screamed.

A confused look appeared on Yuya's face, with Sora not even realizing what he just let slip out.

"That's right, but even if you are my enemy, I can't bring myself to seriously harm you." Yuto replied, clearly disinterested in the duel.

"What are you talking about? Why were you dueling Sora!?" Yuya questioned.

"Because he's allied with the people that took Ruri from me and Shun. A soldier of Duel Academy, and a member of the Fusion threat!" He answered.

Once he heard that, Yuya was more confused than surprised.

"Don't interfere Yuya, he's _my_ prey!" Sora demanded, glaring at Yuto.

"Prey?" Yuya repeated, more confused than ever.

However, some of Yuzu's earlier words finally clicked with what he said, and it terrified him somewhat.

"Are you saying... that you really did have a hand in taking Ruri!?" He asked.

Yuto was surprised at hearing Ruri's name, having never expected Yuya to say it. However, it was Sora that was truly surprised, turning to look at Yuya.

"Who told you that!?" He questioned.

"Yuzu told me that she heard that from a guy named Yuto." Yuya answered.

He then looked at Yuto himself.

"That's your name, isn't it?" He asked.

"That's right." Yuto confirmed, nodding his head.

"If that's the case, then tell me why the two of you are fighting? What reason do you have to hate each other so much?" Yuya begged, having had enough of watching these violent duels.

Sora laughed after he heard that, getting Yuya's attention as he pulled out a lollipop in response.

"There's no way he would. If he did, then he'd have to show you his weak side!" Sora revealed.

He took a deep bite into said lollipop after that.

"What are you talking about?" Yuya asked, sounding afraid.

Sora devoured the rest of the lollipop

"He's just a remnant of those losers from the Xyz Dimension that my allies took over!" He answered.

Yuya's eyes widened at that.

"Xyz... Dimension?" He repeated.

"Shut up! We have _not_ been taken over, and neither Shun or I ran away!" Yuto angrily shouted.

He pointed a finger at Sora.

"We came here so we could continue opposing the Fusion Dimension!" He declared.

"Wait, now a Fusion Dimension? What are you two talking about?" Yuya asked.

"He means that me, him, and that Shun guy aren't from this world!" Sora revealed, pointing at the Xyz Duelist.

Yuya's eyes widened, looking at Yuto.

"My allies fought in and conquered the Xyz Dimension, so if I lose to their Duelists? Then I'll be smearing mud on their honor!" Sora continued.

Yuya looked back at Sora, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"More than that, I can't forgive myself! I was the top of the elite class in Duel Academy and even given this special mission to observe why the Standard Dimension became the Pendulum Dimension... so, I can't accept losing to this Xyz scum!" He shouted.

At that moment, his Duel Disk beeped as its connection to the duel was terminated, making him gasp.

Sora tried to stop his Duel Disk, even pull it off his arm, only for it to clamp harder and stay attached.

"No, don't bring me back to Duel Academy! I can't leave until I beat the Xyz Duelists!" He begged.

He reached out to Yuto before disappearing, leaving Yuya to stare at where Sora had been seconds prior with shock. Only then did Dark Rebellion fade away due to the cancelled duel.

"What's going on? What just happened!?" Yuya questioned.

"He said too much." Yuto replied.

Yuya was confused by that answer.

"He talked about Duel Academy and the Fusion Dimension, as well as revealing what he did to the Xyz Dimension, all of which was likely classified information." Yuto clarified.

"Then, what he was saying was..." Yuya realized.

"I admit that I don't know what he means about Pendulum, but... everything else is something Shun and I have learned since they attacked our home." Yuto confirmed.

Yuya had a lot he didn't want to believe, but with how Sora had acted since dueling Shun? He needed to hear both sides of the story.

"Then... what exactly is Duel Academy?" He asked.

"It's a training school in the Fusion Dimension... for raising Duel Soldiers." Yuto revealed.

"Duel Soldiers?" Yuya repeated in horror.

Yuto closed his eyes, briefly saying nothing as the memories flashed by.

"They're invaders. They attacked our home, wrecked everything, and took my best friend's little sister! However, worst of all? They transformed the people, regardless of if they were Duelists or not, into cards!" He revealed.

Hearing that, Yuya suddenly understood why Shun had spoken like he had been fighting on a battlefield.

Because that's what his and Yuto's home had been turned into.

"In our home, the city of Heartland, the only Monsters were normal and Xyz Monsters, so when they came... we didn't know what kind of enemy was attacking us. Worse, the Xyz Dimension had always dueled for nothing but fun, leaving us defenseless until those who survived formed a Resistance to fight back their invasion." Yuto continued.

That really struck home for Yuya, due to his form of dueling.

"How could anyone... use dueling for war? That's not what dueling's about! It should be for entertaining people, like my father taught me!" Yuya said, clenching his fist.

Yuto's eyes briefly widened at that.

"Your father? What's his name?" He inquired.

"Huh?" Yuya blinked, surprised he was asked that.

"Just answer the question!" Yuto demanded.

"Uh... his name is Yusho Sakaki." Yuya answered.

Yuto's eyes widened at that, which Yuya noticed. However, before he could even ask anything...

*"FLASH!"*

Yuto and Yuya turned as a green flash went off, revealing someone on a bike.

*"CRASH!"*

Right as they made the nearby light post into a brake, causing it to fall over.

"Ow, damn it! What was that doing here!?" A voice resembling theirs questioned.

Yuto's eyes focused on the voice, recognizing it.

The one riding the bike took off his helmet and revealed he looked just like Yuya and Yuto, only with blue hair that had a yellow section resembling a banana, and blue-green eyes.

"Jeez..." He said in annoyance.

"You!" Yuto said, glaring at him.

He noticed Yuto looking at him, then gave a similar reaction.

"I finally found you! This time, you're not getting away!" The Riding Duelist shouted.

Yuya couldn't say anything, just looking at the two.

"We may have been interrupted last time, but this time I'm going to beat you! Now duel me!" The Riding Duelist demanded.

"I won't let you get away this time, Pawn of Fusion!" Yuto shouted, holding out his Duel Disk.

"So, he's from Duel Academy?" Yuya asked.

"I told you before, it's not Fusion! My name is _Yugo_!" He shouted.

"And I'm confused..." Yuya said to himself.

It seemed like Yugo had just said Fusion again in a different way, but Yuto didn't seem to say it was his name either.

Yugo pressed a button on his Duel Runner, activating a pair of programs.

**"Duel Mode engaged, Autopilot standing by."**

"He can duel using that bike?" Yuya said in surprise.

It formed a Duel Disk as Yugo put his helmet back on, and revved the Duel Runner's engines.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

Yuya watched as Yugo drove over a makeshift ramp and into the air.

"The first to strike wins!" Yugo stated, claiming the first move.

Yuto moved out of the way as Yugo began to circle him, due to lacking the usual fields he had when dueling on his Runner.

"Since I control no Monsters, I can Special Summon my Speedroid Beigomax!" Yugo stated.

The Monster he summoned was shown to be a series of bladed tops grouped together before taking the shape of a line.

"Now I summon the Level 3 Tuner monster, Speedroid Three-Eyed Dice!" Yugo continued.

"Did he say Tuner?" Yuya said in surprise.

A floating pyramid with eye markings appeared on the opposite side to Speedroid Beigomax.

"I tune my Level 3 Beigomax with my Level 3 Three-Eyed Dice!" Yugo shouted.

Three-Eyed Dice turned into three Synchro Rings that enveloped Beigomax, turning it into a green outline as the two Monsters transformed.

_"Cursed blade in the form of a cross, use your power to rend all of our enemies!"_ Yugo chanted.

**"SYNCHRO SUMMON!"**

The new Monster was revealed to be a light indigo machine that resembled a kendama, only with a more dangerous shape that showed it was a weapon instead of a toy.

"Come forth! Level 6, High-Speedroid Magical Sword Dama!" Yugo announced.

Yuya saw this and felt confused by the Synchro Monster that was summoned.

'Yuto said his enemy was the Fusion Dimension, so how can he be-' He thought.

That's when he noticed something about what he recently learned.

'Both of the Dimensions that Yuto and Sora mentioned are named after types of Extra Deck monster, so there's possibly also a Synchro Dimension, but... Yuto didn't mention anything about it. Could its people be allied with the Fusion Dimension?' He wondered.

"I activate Magical Sword Dama's effect! By Banishing a Speedroid Monster in my Graveyard, you take 500 points of damage!" Yugo shouted.

Magical Sword Dama turned around and fired a light blue beam towards Yuto, forcing Yuto to run out of the way before it hit him.

"I set one card and end my turn." Yugo finished.

"My turn, draw!" Yuto stated, drawing a card.

He placed a Monster onto his Duel Disk.

"I summon Phantom Knights - Ragged Glove from my hand!" He shouted.

A ghost with no feet wearing armor like a golem's appeared on the field.

He then revealed a second Monster in his hand.

"When I have a Level 3 Phantom Knights monster, I can Special Summon my Phantom Knights - Silent Boots to the field!" He continued.

Another ghost with a black priest robe and no hands formed besides its fellow Phantom Knight.

He rose his hand into the air

"I overlay my Level 3 Ragged Glove and Silent Boots!" Yuto declared.

Both Monsters turned into purple energy and dove into the ground as a galaxy-shaped portal formed, which released a pillar of light.

_"Souls of warriors fallen on the battlefield, revive now and become light to rend the darkness!"_ Yuto chanted.

**"XYZ SUMMON!"**

A black Dullahan appeared, riding on top of armor shaped like a horse.

"Come forth! Rank 3, Phantom Knights - Break Sword!" He announced.

At that moment, all three of them felt a strange pulse go through their chests, though it was stronger for Yuto and Yugo because they were dueling.

As Yuya regained his focus, he gasped at how their pupils were now glowing. For Yugo, they were now green like the rings of a Synchro Summon, while Yuto's were blue like an Xyz Summon's pillar of light.

"What's happening?" He asked.

He got something like an answer as the roars of two Dragons were heard, one being Dark Rebellion's.

* * *

The scene opened to a large island in the Fusion Dimension, focusing on one of two towers acting as a prison.

Within the Prison known as the Western Tower, there was a room where a girl who resembled Yuzu Hiragi could be seen sitting in a chair. The differences between her and Yuzu were that she had pink eyes, long dark purple hair which went past her lower back and tied like a not in one spot, and lilac side tails. Her hair was also secured by a wing-shaped barrette.

Her attire consisted of cream vest with an under dress that split into three, worn out pants, brown boots, two brown belts, and a red sash that seemed to resemble Yuto and Shun's scarves on her right hip. She also had feather-like earrings, and wore a bracelet that looked like two combined bird wings with a blue diamond in the center, like they were the Overlay Units of an Xyz Monster.

"Yuto... Shun..." Ruri said longingly.

She was none other than Ruri Kurosaki, the younger sister of Shun he and Yuto had been looking for. Ruri had been trapped in this tower ever since a Duelist by the name of Dennis had led her to who she assumed was Yuto, only to discover Dennis betrayed them, and that the boy was one of his real allies, prompting her to run. Unfortunately, he caught up to her, and then defeated her in a duel.

Like most people, she had expected to be carded, but what the boy had actually done was bring her to the Fusion Dimension, where she was quickly imprisoned before having both her Deck and her Duel Disk taken away. She didn't even know how long she had been here, and the loneliness was slowly getting to her.

*"FLASH!"*

She soon noticed the gem on her bracelet glowing.

"What's going on?" Ruri asked, looking at its glow.

The glow soon emitted ripples as she saw Yuto summon his Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon against Yugo.

"Yuto!?" Ruri gasped.

While she couldn't make out the details, Ruri could tell he was dueling someone.

*"SMASH!"*

She jumped as the door was knocked down by someone colliding into it. Looking at them, she saw a woman dressed in white, who she recalled hearing from outside the door as Diane, the woman who was guarding her tower.

Looking at where the door once was, someone in a cloak put away their Duel Disk before throwing her something. Catching it, Ruri saw it was her Duel Disk, which still had all of the cards from her deck since it had been taken from her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

Her savior said nothing as they pointed at their Duel Disk, making her look to see a map marked with a red dot.

"Are you... helping me escape?" Ruri asked, feeling a small sense of hope.

They silently nodded before jumping down the tower's edge, making Ruri gasp and rush over to it... only to find they had disappeared.

"Who knows how long I'll have this chance." She reminded herself, turning towards the stairs.

Ruri began running down them, hoping no one had noticed she escaped from the tower.

* * *

Yuya stood as he saw Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, standing before Yugo's ace Monster, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon.

"I use one Overlay Unit to activate Dark Rebellion's effect! Now your Dragon loses half of its ATK points!" Yuto shouted, acting as if he were in a trance.

**"Treason Discharge!"**

As his Monster was about to activate its effect, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon flew up.

"I counter with Clear Wing's effect! When targeted by a Monster's effect, it can negate that effect and destroy that Monster, then gain ATK points based on the destroyed Monster's current ATK points!" Yugo shouted, also in an apparent trance.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's wings glowed green, then faced Dark Rebellion as it unleashed a green beam from each.

**"Dichroic Mirror!"**

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon growled as the two beams neared it.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Fusion Dimension's Eastern Tower, there was another prisoner currently trapped in a room identical to Ruri's.

She too resembled Yuzu, though she had orange eyes, and much shorter hair that spring green with light green side tails, with a lock of hair sticking up from the top like Yuya. Her choice of clothes was also fairly similar to that of Yugo's riding suit.

Her attire consisted of a blue and white jacket with pink pads on the shoulders and elbows, pink shorts, white and pink boots that reached up to her thighs with pink knee pads, a pair of blue studded earrings, and a black choker with a blue jewel.

Like her lookalikes, she too had a bracelet, with hers looking like the wisps of wind and/or a cloud around a green pearl. In a sense, it resembled a Synchro Ring.

"Yugo, where are you!? I... I need you..." She asked, almost begging for him to show up and rescue her.

Her name was Rin, the childhood and best friend of Yugo, and possibly more... if either of them could stop acting like themselves long enough to see the signs, or at least try confessing to one another. Like with Ruri, she had been kidnapped after being beaten in a duel.

However, unlike Ruri's situation, the Synchro Dimension didn't have any conflicts that kept her guard up, so she was caught by surprise when someone resembling Yugo ended up cornering her. She had also passed out once she lost, and didn't know Yugo had seen her being taken.

*"FLASH!"*

She soon noticed the gem on her bracelet glowing.

"Huh?" Rin blinked, bringing it closer to her face.

The glow soon emitted ripples as she saw Yugo activate Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's effect in his duel with Yuto.

"Wait, that's Yugo!" Ruri realized.

Like with Ruri, she could only tell he was dueling, and not the specific or who his opponent was.

"Yugo... you never give up, even if it's to try and find me." She realized.

She smiled as tears filled her eyes.

*"SMASH!"*

Rin gasped before looking at the door, seeing someone had crashed into it. Looking at them, she saw a man dressed in red, who she recalled hearing from outside the door as Apollo, the man who guarded her tower.

Looking at where the door used to be, someone in a cloak put away their Duel Disk before throwing her something. Catching it, Rin saw it was her Duel Disk, with all the cards from her deck still inside it since they had taken it from her.

"Wait, what's going on?" She asked.

Her savior said nothing and simply let out a chuckle as they waved their Duel Disk, which is when she saw the same map and red dot that was on Ruri's.

"Are you betraying these people?" Rin asked, shocked by the development.

They silently ran off and jumped down the tower's edge, making Rin's eyes widen as she rushed over to it... only to find they had disappeared.

"On second thought? I'll escape first, and ask questions later." She decided, turning towards the stairs.

She looked behind her for a moment, then took a deep breath as she ran towards her hopeful freedom.

* * *

In a surprise twist of fate? Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon managed to survive being destroyed, which left both Dragons without any boost to their ATK points.

"Huh!? What just happened?" Yuya said, understandably confused.

"Battle! Dark Rebellion Dragon, attack Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" Yuto ordered.

Yuya's eyes widened.

"But they have the same ATK points!" He shouted.

However, neither Yuto nor Yugo noticed as the clash began.

**"Lightning Rebellion Disobey!"**

Dark Rebellion charged as its opposing Dragon, while Clear Wing began to retaliate as its wings glowed as they did when using its effect.

**"Helldive Whirlwind Slasher!"**

Both Dragons soon collided with one another, creating a deadlock that resulted from neither being able to destroy each other. Yuya covered his eyes as the bright flash quickly blinded him from the event.

Their collision eventually forced them apart, causing each Duelist's Dragon to be flung towards them. Only then could Yuya see again as both were about to get hit.

"Yuto, Yugo! Look out!"

Somehow, Yuya's words reached them, and their eyes turned back to normal... but not soon enough.

Yugo was hit by Clear Wing, though he and his Duel Runner vanished before they could hit the ground. As for Yuto, he wasn't as lucky, being thrown across the ground from Dark Rebellion's collision before his Dragon disappeared.

"Yuto!" Yuya shouted, rushing over to him.

He shook Yuto slightly, trying to wake him up.

"Hey, are you OK? Yuto!" He shouted.

"Ruri... please, forgive me..." Yuto weakly replied, believing he was about to get carded.

Dark Rebellion's card glowed, causing Odd-Eyes' card to glow as well.

"Huh?" Yuya said, taking it out.

Both Dragons' glows reacted to each other, and that's when Yuya swear he heard something he shouldn't have.

The sound of them both crying in regret.

"Was that?" He asked, somehow realizing what he heard and whose cries they were.

However, he didn't wonder about it for long, realizing that Yuto needed help, and fast!

He held up his Duel Disk as he called Yuzu.

"Yuzu! It's Yuto, he needs help!" He shouted.

As this was happening, Yugo's unconscious form and his Duel Runner were seen laying by a dumpster, easily passed by many. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's own cries roared out, unheard by anyone due to his unconscious owner.

Yuzu soon ran onto the scene, and found Yuya standing over Yuto's body.

"Yuya!" She shouted, rushing over.

As she ran towards him, she gasped as Yuya himself collapsed out of nowhere.

"Yuya!" She screamed.

At that very moment, the pendulum that had slowly been set up since the discover of Pendulum Summoning... had finally began to swing, setting the path it would take.

* * *

Back at Duel Academy, the sight of Ruri could be seen as she followed the map on her Duel Disk, occasionally having to hide from a few Duel Academy solders.

As she rushed past another group, Ruri stopped in place as she felt an image race through her mind. It was of Dark Rebellion Dragon being tossed at Yuto, though without her understanding why, before he was thrown against the ground as a result.

_"Ruri... please, forgive me..."_

"Yuto? Oh no, did you actually... lose?" She questioned, her face filled with horror at the thought.

Unfortunately for Ruri, that brief moment of stopping had been enough for someone to spot her.

"That's the prisoner from the Western Tower! Get her!"

She was brought back to reality once she heard that, running down the hall.

The Duel Academy students ran after her, though didn't realize they missed her as a convenient gap in one hallway's walls let her hide, making them believe she had gone in a different direction.

"Thank goodness..." She breathed, letting out a sigh of relief.

She soon heard the sound of panting, looking the other way to see a green-haired girl stopping to catch her breath.

"Need... a break..." Rin wheezed.

"Quick, over here!" Ruri loudly whispered.

Rin didn't move. Part of her was worried it was a trap, and that trusting this voice would guarantee she'd get caught.

"Please, trust me. I'm not one of them. I'm trying to get away too." Ruri begged.

Looking around her, Rin still didn't completely trust the offer, but decided that she was going to be caught at this rate because of her fatigue. As a result, she rushed over, and just in time to avoid some students running in the direction she almost chose.

At the same time the danger passed, Ruri and Rin stared at each other in surprise, noticing the strong resemblance between them.

"Do you have a long-lost twin by chance? Because I'm an orphan, and wouldn't know if I had one." Rin asked, still in a state of shock.

"No, unless my older brother has been hiding such a fact from me." Ruri answered.

The sound of the students who had passed Ruri's side soon reached their ears, and Ruri quickly grabbed Rin's hand.

"Let's try to actually escape before we come back to this." She suggested.

Rin nearly fumbled as Ruri pulled her towards the hall the students the former had evaded had come from, partially since she still hadn't fully recovered her stamina.

"Although, just in case we need to know them? My name's Ruri, and yours?" Ruri revealed, focusing on the path ahead.

"Rin." She answered.

They continued running, right until they were unfortunate enough to run into the Obelisk Force.

"Uh oh..." They both said.

"You aren't going anywhere, now prepare to duel!" One of them smirked.

At that moment, the two hooded figures who rescued the girls jumped into view, catching both sides off-guard.

"Hey, who are you!?" The same Obelisk Force member questioned.

Both of them said nothing as they each played a Spell card, revealing them to be Swords of Revealing Light and Swords of Concealing Light, which briefly immobilized the Obelisk Force.

"Hey, you're-" Ruri realized.

The hooded figures looked at them, showing a timer on their Duel Disks that was counting down from 3 minutes.

"Right, and thank you." Rin replied.

Both of them ran past the Obelisk Force, who could only grunt as they got through their barricade. Ruri followed the map until they neared the red mark, but once they found it? There was nothing but a dead end.

"Was this a trap?" Ruri said worriedly.

"It can't be, those two wouldn't have come back if they weren't helping us, right?" Rin asked, also starting to worry.

Right on cue, an unexpected flash enveloped the two, which made both of them disappear.

* * *

After going through who knew how long with whatever happened to them? Ruri and Rin found themselves outside of Duel Academy's wall, but on two different fields that were in viewing distance of the other.

Both girls were quick to notice they had been somewhat separated.

"Ruri, what happened?" Rin asked.

"I'm not sure, but... I don't think this was supposed to happen." Ruri answered.

A familiar laugh caught their attention, making both of their eyes shrink as they recognized who it belonged to. The laughter was closer to Ruri, but more terrifying to Rin's ears, since she had the worse experience of the two.

"No, it can't be..." Ruri realized.

Turning around, she got an unexpected surprise.

It was someone who looked like Yuya, though with a more sinister look in his purple eyes. He had hair similar to Rin's in shape, which was mostly purple (though more on the red side, compared to Yuto's blue) and pink by his ears, also having pink eyebrows, though had fringes that framed his face. The most notable being two that pointed upwards like a V.

His attire was a purple officer's uniform with a red cape, gold shoulder bands, and an amber-colored setting. Underneath was a light blue waistcoat, a pink cravat, and light blue pants which were tucked into silver boots.

"Did you really think we didn't notice what those jail breaker friends of yours were doing? Because we did, and now I'll be making sure you return to your rooms." Yuri smirked.

'And we were so close too!' Ruri though, gritting her teeth as she sweated slightly.

However, she then realized due to the distance between Rin and herself, a Tag Duel would be impossible.

"Though you have a flaw in your own plan. Even if it means I have to end up caught again, you're too far away from Rin to trap her in a duel. That means she can get away while I keep you busy." She stated, flashing a slight grin despite the bead of sweat on her cheek.

Yuri didn't look phased by her words, and simply let out a slight chuckle, causing that grin to fade as Ruri started to get a bad feeling.

"You know, with how you thought I was those little boyfriends of yours, I'm surprised you didn't consider something else after recognizing the resemblance you two share." He remarked.

"Huh?" Both girls said in confusion.

A flash similar to the one Ruri had seen when Yuri defeated her appeared behind Rin, catching their attention as a fourth person appeared before the Synchro Duelist.

"No way..." Rin whispered, horrified at what she saw.

The one who appeared from the light was revealed to be a girl resembling them and Yuzu, and the sinister look in her eyes that made Yuri's expression look so different compared to Yuya, Yuto, and Yugo's.

She had green eyes and blue-indigo hair with light blue bangs falling to the sides of her face, which she had tied into a ponytail held by a yellow ribbon, and brown boots.

The rest of her attire was also a clear sign she wasn't their ally, as it was the red version of the uniform worn by female students of Duel Academy.

"That there's someone from this Dimension who looks like the two of you." Serena smirked.

Ruri and Rin realized they were now completely trapped, and there was only one way for them to escape.

"It looks like we'll have to beat these two in a duel." Ruri stated.

She activated her Duel Disk, with Rin doing the same as the situation finally hit her, prompting Yuri and Celina to do the same with their sword-shaped Duel Disks.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

No matter what, Ruri and Rin wouldn't let their chance to escape be in vain.

* * *

**There you have it. The main changes this story makes from canon are that Ruri and Rin get a chance to escape during Yuto and Yugo's duel, and Serena is not as restricted by Leo in what she can do, being Yuri's duel partner. Also, the Standard Dimension becomes the Pendulum Dimension not after defeating Zarc, but after Yuya Pendulum Summons against Ishijima, which he's now simply the first to do, since many got them alongside him.**

**Plus, the girls' bracelets also don't work as they did in canon, since I didn't like how only Yuzu and Serena's (with Serena's only being implied) bracelets were the ones that actually showed any powers. For now, the best I can say about their powers is they now related to their respective Dimension's version of Yuya and their Dragons, hence why they were immune each other's effects.**

**Speaking of the Dragons themselves? As you may have noticed, I have removed the part of their effect that restricts them to working on Level 5 or above Monsters. This was a choice I made because, no matter how many times I looked at its anime effect, Clear Wing's effect shouldn't have been able to work against Dark Rebellion even if it worked on Ranks, since it was only Rank 4. Since I like to shake things up in my stories? I decided to go with it.**

**Now, in regards to the lack of duel details and how You Show actually kept the applicants it lost in episode 2? The former is because every duel I've shown was basically unchanged, due to the nature of the chapter being mostly a recap to show what changed, and won't show until Ch 2. As for the latter, that's a minor thing that could have happened if everyone had Pendulum Monsters at the start.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story. I apologize if anything seems a little off, since this is the first time I've done a story based on an anime adaption of a game, especially if the chapter's recap nature felt a little "tell, don't show" to anyone. By Ch 3, the former issue should likely have been dealt with, with the latter being something that I'm 99% certain won't happen again. There's a lot of twist and turns this story will have, so enjoy the ride!**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we are with part two of this story's opening act! Last chapter, we set up the stage for two duels, being Yuri VS Ruri and Serena VS Rin, which I hope all of you will enjoy! Now, one important thing I'll need to announce is the duels I made in this chapter were made entirely on my own, as Shini helps me with the longer original duels or heavily edited ones, whereas I do the shorter original duels and slightly edited ones.**

**One other thing I'd like to say for this chapter is that I owe my inspiration for this story's creation thanks to the inspiration I got from reading three other ARC-V stories, which are "The Daughter of Ray, and Arc", "Bonds of Pendulum", and "Pendulum's Fifth Swing." I recommend all three if you haven't read them yet, since all three of them have unique twists on canon.**

**Anyways, as last chapter implied? All eight of the dimensional counterparts are equally important in this story, though only Yuya and Yuzu will be in focus until Duel Academy invades during the Battle Royale, and speaking of Yuzu? I couldn't say this in the prior chapter due to giving away the twist about how the Standard Dimension had already become the Pendulum Dimension, but Yuzu is among the many Duelists who got Pendulum Monsters.**

**Likewise, for any duel that happened during a flashback scene? Just assume they happened similarly enough, with most of the opponents Yuya fought being among those who either didn't have Pendulum Cards at the time, or don't want to use them in their decks for any reason, with Michio being a good example of the latter during his duel with Yuya. After all, he originally believed his dueling recipes were perfect, which gives him little reason to use any.**

**Before we officially begin this chapter? I'd like everyone to know that the Yuri VS Ruri and Serena VS Rin duels are happening at the same time, just in case the way I write the layout of the two duels somehow confuses anyone. Also, like the top of these start notes imply, these duels will be kind of short, though I think the Duelists and situation kind of required them to be shorter duels.**

**So, with that out of the way? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 2 - Altered Pendulum, Part 2]**

The duels between Ruri and Yuri, along with Serena and Rin, officially began as everyone drew five cards.

**Ruri Kurosaki - 4000 LP**   
**Yuri - 4000 LP**

**Rin - 4000 LP**   
**Serena - 4000 LP**

The first duel that came into focus was Yuri and Ruri's.

**Turn 1: Yuri (5 Cards)**

"The first move is mine, and I'll start by playing Predator Plants Cephalotusnail in Attack mode." Yuri stated.

A plant resembling a Pitcher Plant bloomed from the ground, opening its mouth as saliva dripped out of it.

"I'll end my turn with that." He stated.

'Nice try, but I remember our last duel, so I know you're toying with me right now. That's why I'm going to go full out from the start!' Ruri thought.

She reached for her next card.

"My turn, draw!" She shouted.

**Turn 2: Ruri (6 Cards)**

Ruri saw the Monster she got and smiled, playing it on her Duel Disk.

"Because I control no Monsters, I can Special Summon my Lyrical Luscinia - Turquoise Warbler to field!" Ruri revealed.

A small girl dressed as a bird and green skin appeared on the field, with her outfit resembling an aviator's suit.

**(Level 1, ATK: 100 | DEF: 100)**

"This effect also allows me to Special Summon another Lyrical Luscinia monster from my hand or Graveyard, so I'll summon a second Lyrical Luscinia - Turquoise Warbler to the field!" She continued.

Her Turquoise Warbler was joined by a twin.

"Looks like this birdie is about to claw her way at me." Yuri remarked, smirking slightly.

"I overlay my two Level 1 Turquoise Warblers!" Ruri shouted.

Both her Monsters turned into green energy as they entered the galaxy portal, forming the pillar of light.

_"Birds with beautiful wings, gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight!"_ Ruri chanted.

**"XYZ SUMMON!"**

A woman dressed like a bird appeared, with her outfit being a mixture of yellow and cyan with some dark gray around her leggings, chest, and helmet.

"Take flight! Rank 1, Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale!" Ruri announced.

**(Rank 1, ATK: 0 | DEF: 0)  
(OU: 2)**

She threw her hand out in response.

"I activate my Assembly Nightingale's effect! When I Xyz Summon this Monster, it gains 100 ATK and DEF points for every Overlay Unit it possesses." She revealed.

**(Assembly Nightingale, ATK: 200 | DEF: 200)**

Ruri then pulled back her hand before extending it to point at Yuri.

"Battle! Assembly Nightingale, attack him directly!" She continued.

Her Monster let out a screech, bypassing his Monster with its effect and kicking Yuri, who used his Duel Disk as a shield against the blow.

**Yuri - 3800 LP**

"And as you remember, Assembly Nightingale can attack once for every Overlay Unit it has, so prepare for a second attack!" Ruri exclaimed.

**"Encore Ensemble!"**

Her Monster jumped into the air and twirled before diving at Yuri again, repeating the previous action.

**Yuri - 3600 LP**

"I play a face down and end my turn." She finished.

Yuri smirked, before letting out a quiet laugh in response.

"My turn, draw!" He shouted.

**Turn 3: Yuri (5 Cards)**

He placed a Monster on his Duel Disk immediately after drawing it.

"I summon my Predator Plants Cordyceps." Yuri calmly said.

A plant with a red bulb that had wide yellow eyes and an opened mouth appeared, hissing at Ruri.

"And now..." He smirked.

He revealed the Fusion Spell he was holding, making Ruri gasp.

'He already had it in his hand...' She realized in horror.

A blue and red swirl appeared behind Yuri's Monsters.

"Now I'll fuse my Predator Plants Cephalotusnail with my Predator Plants Cordyceps!" Yuri exclaimed.

The two flew into the swirl.

_"Poisonous fangs that devour the world, become one with Hell's fragrance and give birth to a new terror!"_ Yuri chanted before swinging his hands down.

**"FUSION SUMMON!"**

A purple Dragon with two large golden horns, yellow and red orbs across its body, and multiple mouths that were drool a venomous saliva appeared from a purple veil that formed across the field.

Two of these mouths that acted as its shoulders opened, allowing it to unfold wings that looked like a collection of magenta vines.

However, unlike when he summoned it during their previous duel, his pupils began glowing purple, to Ruri's surprise, followed by him and his Dragon gaining an aura of the same color around their bodies.

"Rise from the Earth! Level 7, Starve Venom Fusion Dragon!" Yuri announced.

_**Starve Venom Fusion Dragon *** _   
_**(DARK)** _

_**Level 7 - Fusion** _   
_**Dragon** _   
_**ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000** _

_**(Two DARK-attribute Monsters)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**When this card is Special Summoned, it gains ATK equal to the Monster on your opponent's field with the highest ATK points. One per turn, until the end of the turn, this card can target a Monster your opponent controls, negate its effect, and then use that effect in place of this one. If this card is destroyed, you can destroy all of your opponent's Monsters and deal damage equal to the destroyed Monster with the highest ATK points.** _

Ruri paled as she saw it.

'Come on Ruri, don't be afraid! You can win this duel if you defeat it!' She remembered.

"Now, I activate-" Yuri began.

"Sorry, but your Dragon won't be doing anything this turn!" Ruri interjected.

Yuri raised an eye in response.

"Because you have a face up Monster on your field, I can send Lyrical Luscinia - Moonstone Crow to the Graveyard, and activate a face down Spell card on my field during your turn!" Ruri revealed.

_**Lyrical Luscinia - Moonstone Crow** _   
_**(WIND)** _

_**Level 1 - Standard** _   
_**Winged Beast** _   
_**ATK: 500 | DEF: 500** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**If your opponent has a face up Monster on their field, you can send this card to the Graveyard to activate a Spell card on your opponent's turn.** _

A small bird with closed eyes appeared before opening them to glare at Yuri, slapping her face down before it disappeared, causing the Spell to rise up and reveal itself as Lyrical Luscinia - Bird Strike.

"Using the power of my Lyrical Luscinia - Bird Strike, I can negate the effects of all your Monsters because I have a Lyrical Luscinia monster on my field!" She revealed.

"Oh?" Yuri said, raising an eye.

Assembly Nightingale flapped its wings, causing Starve Venom to cover its eyes as a strong gale whipped its eyes. This gave it the chance to slash it with her talons and leave it with multiple scars.

"No matter. Even without its effects, I can still destroy your Monster." Yuri shrugged.

He held out his hand.

"Battle! Starve Venom, destroy her Assembly Nightingale!" He ordered.

Starve Venom breathed out a purple cloud of acid from its multiple mouths towards Assembly Nightingale.

**"Toxic Terror!"**

"I use an Overlay Unit to keep my Assembly Nightingale from being destroyed!" Ruri countered.

One of her Overlay Units burst into a twinkle, creating a protective barrier on Ruri's field that dissolved Starve Venom's acidic cloud.

**(Assembly Nightingale | ATK: 100)  
(OU: 1)**

"I play a face down and end my turn." Yuri replied, looking unfazed.

Ruri felt some confidence at how she locked down Starve Venom's effects, knowing she now had a chance.

"My turn, draw!" She shouted.

**Turn 4: Ruri (3 Cards)**

Ruri looked at the card, then smiled at what she drew, which Yuri quickly noticed.

'What did she just draw?' He wondered.

"I play the Spell card, De-Xyz, to return my Assembly Nightingale to my Extra Deck and summon its remaining Overlay Unit to the field!" Ruri revealed.

_**De-Xyz (Quick-Play Spell)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**Target one Xyz Monster on your side of the field, return it to the Extra Deck and summon all of its unused Overlay Units to your field.** _

One of her Turquoise Warblers returned to the field.

"Is there a point to this?" Yuri mockingly questioned.

"You'll see soon enough. Especially once I use the effect of my Lyrical Luscinia - Sapphire Swallow to Special Summon it, along with my Lyrical Luscinia - Cobalt Sparrow!" Ruri replied, playing her cards.

Two girls dressed as birds, one blue and the other brown, flew into view.

**Lyrical Luscinia - Sapphire Swallow  
(Level 1, ATK: 0 | DEF: 100)**

**Lyrical Luscinia - Cobalt Sparrow  
(Level 1, ATK: 100 | DEF: 0)**

A card ejected from her deck.

"When my Cobalt Sparrow is Special Summoned, it allows me to bring a Winged Beast-type Monster from my deck to my hand." She continued, grabbing the card.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she bet everything on her next move.

"When I use my Cobalt Swallow for an Xyz Summon, I can attach a Lyrical Luscinia monster from my Graveyard as an Overlay Unit, so I'll include my Moonstone Crow." She revealed as she pulled it out.

Ruri then showed it and the other Monster in her hand.

"Also, I activate the effect of the Lyrical Luscinia - Aquamarine Cardinal, using it as Xyz Material for a Lyrical Luscinia monster from my hand!" She continued.

_**Lyrical Luscinia - Aquamarine Cardinal** _   
_**(WIND)** _

_**Level 1 - Standard** _   
_**Winged Beast** _   
_**ATK: 200 | DEF: 200** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**If you Xyz Summon a Lyrical Luscinia monster, you can use it as Xyz Material from your hand.** _

A projection of what looked to be an excited girl dressed as a light blue bird appeared, looking at Yuri before she winked and began dancing, shaking her tail feathers in a way that made a bead of sweat slide down Yuri's face.

"Now, I'll overlay all five of my Monsters!" Ruri revealed.

All five of her Monsters became green energy, but this time, they flew into a galaxy portal that formed in the sky.

_"Birds with musical wings, join your songs together and set the stage for your symphony in the sky!"_ Ruri chanted.

**"XYZ SUMMON!"**

A woman dressed like a bird appeared, with her outfit having a starry night theme.

"Shining like the stars! Rank 1, Lyrical Luscinia - Recite Starling!" Ruri announced.

_**Lyrical Luscinia - Recite Starling *** _   
_**(WIND)** _

_**Rank 1 - Xyz** _   
_**Winged Beast** _   
_**ATK: 0 | DEF: 0** _

_**(2 or more Level 1 Monsters)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**When this card is Xyz Summoned: You can target 1 face-up Monster on the field; it gains 300 ATK/DEF for each Overlay Unit attached to this card. Once per turn, you can detach an Overlay Unit from this card to add one Level 1 Winged Beast-type Monster to your hand. This card can't be destroyed by battle, and all battle damage you would take is inflicted to your opponent.** _

The five Overlay Units of Recite Starling circled around it at high speeds, representing Ruri's confidence.

**(OU: 5)**

She immediately threw five stars towards Starve Venom, causing it to roar like it had been empowered as they circled it.

"What is this?" Yuri questioned.

"When my Recite Starling is Xyz Summoned, it can give any Monster on the field a boost of 300 attack and DEF points for every Overlay Unit she has!" Ruri answered.

**(Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, ATK: 4000 | DEF: 3500)**

She then pointed at him.

"Battle! Recite Starling, attack his Starve Venom Fusion Dragon!" She declared.

"But your Monster has no ATK points!" Yuri shouted, confused by this action.

"Exactly!" Ruri smiled.

Yuri raised an eye at that.

"When my Recite Starling attacks a Monster and has fewer ATK points, all the battle damage I'd normally receive is dealt to you instead!" She revealed.

He gasped as his eyes widened.

"That's right! I've turned your Monster's strength into the very thing that will guarantee your defeat!" She added.

Recite Starling flew into the air, making a night sky appear above them as multiple stars appeared, which reacted to the four surrounding Starve Venom, which the Purple Dragon noticed.

**"Starlight Storm!"**

Dozens of falling stars shot towards Starve Venom, who looked around as if it couldn't see them. Yuri had a nervous look on his face... before smirking as he swung his hand back.

**[Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V: Cornered Duelist]**

"I activate my Trap card, Venomous Vanquisher!" He countered.

_**Venomous Vanquisher (Counter Trap)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**If a "Fusion Dragon" monster on your field is targeted by a Monster effect, negate that effect and destroy that Monster, ignoring any effects that would prevent this card's activation.** _

Ruri sweated slightly, having a bad feeling about how her attack would go.

"With this card, I can negate your Recite Starling's effect and then destroy it, but the best part? It ignores any effects that would prevent its activation, so say goodbye!" Yuri revealed.

"No!" She shouted, feeling her eyes widen.

Starve Venom turned around and swung its tail, which stabbed Recite Starling, causing poison to spread across its body.

The Xyz Monster turned black and then melted, leaving Ruri to stare at her now empty field... and then her empty hand.

"I end my turn..." She quietly said.

"My turn, draw." Yuri smirked.

**Turn 5: Yuri (4 Cards)**

Before Yuri did anything, a loud scream was heard from Rin, making Ruri turn around to see she her hit the ground, seeing her Life Points hit zero.

"Rin, no!" Ruri exclaimed.

"It looks like the two of you will be sharing the bitter taste of defeat." Yuri taunted.

After saying that, he pointed his finger at her, then flashed a smirk.

"Battle. Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, end this duel." He declared.

Ruri felt a shadow cover her face as a Starve Venom took a deep breath to prepare a familiar attack, reminding her that once again... she failed to win.

'Yuto... Shun... I'm sorry.' She apologized, feeling a few tears trickle down her cheeks.

**"Toxic Terror!"**

With those words, Starve Venom fired the purple cloud of acid at Ruri, causing her to scream as it slammed into body and sent her flying.

**[Insert Song End]**

She landed on her back, then tumbled until she stopped.

**Ruri Kurosaki - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Yuri**

Yuri smirked as Ruri joined Rin on the ground, both of them unconscious from their respective opponent's final moves.

"And once again, I've clipped you and your Monsters' wings." Yuri stated.

Various members of the Obelisk Force appeared shortly after he said that.

* * *

Rin sweated as she looked at Serena, feeling nervous over the fact she was basically facing herself.

**Turn 1: Rin (5 Cards)**

"I'll go first, and play the Spell card, Sudden Wind!" Rin exclaimed.

A powerful winter wind blew across the field, making Serena cover her eyes.

_**Sudden Wind (Quick-Play Spell)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**Special Summon every WIND-type Monster from your hand. For the rest of the turn, you can't Special Summon a Monster outside of a Synchro Summon, and you can't activate or set any Spells or Traps on your field or from your hand.** _

"This card lets me summon all my Wind Witch monsters at the cost of being unable to use any more Spells or Traps until my next turn, and I can't Special Summon any more Monsters unless I'm doing it through a Synchro Summon!" Rin revealed.

"A swarming tactic?" Serena realized.

Rin placed three cards onto her Duel Disk, causing three shadows to form within the wind, two of which looked identical.

"From my hand, I summon my two Wind Witch - Ice Bells, and the Tuner monster, Wind Witch - Snow Bell!" Rin shouted.

Two cute witch girls with purple hair appeared alongside what looked to be a white ornament with angel wings on its top.

**Wind Witch - Ice Bell x2**   
**(Level 3, ATK: 1000 | DEF: 1000)**

**Wind Witch - Snow Bell**   
**(Level 1, ATK: 100 | DEF: 100)**

Rin held her hand out.

"I activate the effects of my Ice Bells! When they're either Normal or Special Summoned, you take 500 points of damage, and having two means you take 1000 points of damage!" She revealed.

Both of her Ice Bells giggled before firing magic from their wands at Serena, hitting her with two icy blasts. She showed little reaction and held her Duel Disk out like a shield.

**Serena - 3000 LP**

"But I'm not done yet, as I now tune my Level 1 Snow Bell to my two Level 3 Ice Bells to summon a monster that will hit you with a wicked winter blizzard!" She continued.

Snow Bell turned into a Synchro Ring as both Ice Bells flew into it, turning into green outlines.

_"Winds of winter, snow, and ice! Become my power and blow everything away!"_ Rin chanted.

**"SYNCHRO SUMMON!"**

The white light flashed as a Monster resembling a flying vehicle appeared.

"Come forth! Level 7, Wind Witch - Winter Bell!" Rin announced before she began riding it, to Serena's honest confusion.

**(Level 7, AT: 2400 | DEF: 2000)**

"You're riding your Monster?" Serena questioned.

"Guess it wouldn't make sense to someone who's never rode a Duel Runner before." Rin answered.

"Or you're just weird." She remarked.

Rin gasped upon hearing that.

"Now you're gonna get it! Once per turn, my Winter Bell can copy the effect of any Level 4 or lower Wind Witch in my Graveyard and use it as its own, and I choose my Ice Bell to deal you another 500 points of damage!" Rin replied.

**"Snow Squall Strike!"**

Serena raised her Duel Disk as Winter Bell unleashed an icy tornado at her, dealing her damage once again.

**Serena - 2500 LP**

"And now, I end my turn." Rin finished.

Serena reached for her next card.

"My turn, draw!" She shouted.

**Turn 2: Serena (6 Cards)**

"Be prepared, because I don't hold back when I duel, so I have no problem with hitting you with full force!" Serena warned, smirking as she did.

To emphasize this, she flipped her Fusion Spell into view, making Rin gasp.

"That's right, I have the Fusion Spell, which I'll use to combine the two Moonlight Blue Cats in my hands into a Monster that will rip you to shreds!" She exclaimed, holding out her right hand.

It was then that Rin saw a bracelet like hers and Ruri's, which was a single ring with a second smaller ring linking it to an orb of the same color. Inside that orb, there was a circular purple gem embedded into it.

'Even she has one?' Rin thought.

Right as she finished her thought, Yuri was in the process of summoning his Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, causing Rin's eyes to widen as Serena's bracelet began to glow and emit ripples as if reacting to the appearance of said Dragon.

A pair of girls who looked to be half cat and had blue fur like their namesakes appeared before a familiar blue and red swirl swallowed both of them.

_"Mighty cat that prowls through the darkness, blind your enemies with your radiant glow and become a new power!"_ Serena chanted before swinging her hands down.

**"FUSION SUMMON!"**

Wearing an outfit that one would see from the Brazilian Carnival, a cat-like woman that wore a menacing mask made her appearance, do so with a samba dance.

"Come to me! Level 7, Moonlight Cat Dancer!" Serena announced.

**(Level 7, AT: 2400 | DEF: 2000)**

Rin paled at the sight of the Monster, but did her best to stay calm. There was no chance for her to win if she let the fear she felt from her duel with Yuri get the better of her.

"And that was just the start! I now play the Spell card, Fusion Recovery! This lets me return my Fusion Spell and a Fusion Material monster to my hand!" Serena continued.

"What!?" Rin shouted in surprise.

Serena grabbed both cards from her Graveyard as she replaced them with Fusion Recovery, then flashed them out again.

"I'll now play my Fusion Spell once more, and fuse my Moonlight Cat Dancer with my Moonlight Blue Cat!" Serena declared.

Once again, the blue and red swirl swallowed both Monsters.

_"Beautiful cat that leaps through the night, sharpen your claws and mark your shadowed territory!"_ Serena chanted before swinging her hands down.

**"FUSION SUMMON!"**

This time, a full moon was seen as her Monster spun into view and slashed her claws across the sky, leaving red lines which represented scratch marks.

"Bear your fangs! Level 8, Moonlight Panther Dancer!" She announced.

**(Level 8, AT: 2800 | DEF: 2500)**

Serena threw her hand out.

"Battle! Moonlight Panther Dancer attacks your Winter Bell, which also activates her special effect!" Serena declared.

Panther Dancer's body began to glow as it leaped towards Winter Bell.

"When my Panther Dancer attacks, she's able to attack all your Monsters twice, but can't destroy them until her second attack! That means you'll take the damage twice!" She revealed.

**"Lunatic Claw!"**

Panther Dancer slashed Winter Bell, knocking Rin off her Monster's back.

**Rin - 3600 LP**

"This is what happens when prey tries to fight an apex predator!" Serena announced, smirking as she did.

**"Lunatic Fang!"**

Winter Bell was pushed to the ground as Panther Dancer roared, then lunged forward to bite her head, destroying Winter Bell by crushing it.

**Rin - 3200 LP**

Rin stared at the sight in horror.

"I'll end my turn by playing the Spell card, Lunar Eclipse! Now my Panther Dancer is unable to be targeted or effected by Spells or Traps you play until the end of your turn." She finished.

Rin reached for her next card.

"My turn, draw!" She shouted.

**Turn 3: Rin (3 Cards)**

Looking at her hand, she saw she was in a dire position due to what she did on her first turn.

'I played Sudden Wind too early. Until I can make a comeback play, I'll need to buy myself some time.' She thought.

Looking up, she saw Serena staring at her without concern.

"You won't be making that face for long! I play another Wind Witch - Ice Bell, in Defense mode!" She shouted.

Her third Ice Bell appeared, then activated her effect as Serena shielded herself once more.

**Serena - 2000 LP**

"Next, I'll boost her defenses by equipping her with the Spell card, Gale Guard." She continued.

A small tornado surrounded her Ice Bell.

_**Gale Guard (Equip Spell)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**This card can only be equipped to a WIND-type Monster on your field. This card gains two Gale Counters. If the equipped Monster would be destroyed in battle, remove a Gale Counter instead.** _

"I set a card face down and end my turn." Rin finished.

Serena reached for her card.

"My turn, draw!" Serena shouted.

**Turn 4: Serena (3 Cards)**

She looked at her card and then smiled, looking at Rin.

"You just lost." She declared.

"What!? What did you just draw?" Rin questioned, feeling her eyes shake.

Serena revealed Moonlight White Rabbit, leaving Rin confused.

"This card on its own might not make much sense, but I can assure you the other two cards in my hand will." Serena explained.

She revealed another Moonlight Monster... and a second Fusion Spell.

**[Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V: Cornered Duelist]**

"You had two!?" Rin asked in horror.

"Any good Fusion Duelist has more than one way to fuse their Monsters together, which includes having multiple copies of this card! Now, I fuse my Moonlight Panther Dancer with the two Moonlight Monsters in my hand!" Serena answered, raising her hands.

All three entered the swirl, leaving Rin to back away slightly from what was coming.

_"Elegant warrior dancing across the moonlit wilderness, become the embodiment of the moon's gravity and become the queen of all beasts!"_ Serena chanted before swinging her hands down.

**"FUSION SUMMON!"**

Her new Monster spun into view and swung down its sword, causing the ground where she stood to shatter and form a mask more terrifying than the ones her predecessors wore.

"Rise to the summit! Level 10, Moonlight Leo Dancer!" Serena announced.

**(Level 10, AT: 3500 | DEF: 3000)**

As the powerful Monster stood before her, Rin barely managed to keep her cool.

"I activate my Trap card, Bewildering Winds! Now your Special Summoned monster will lose half its ATK points and all of its effects!" Rin countered.

However, it didn't activate.

"Huh?" She blinked.

"Sorry, but Leo Dancer can't be targeted or affected by any of my opponent's card effects, meaning your Trap has no target to activate against!" Serena revealed, grinning like Yuri often did.

"No..." Rin breathed in horror.

Serena threw her hand out.

"Battle! I attack your Ice Bell with my Leo Dancer!" Serena declared.

Her Monster growled before rushing ahead, swinging her sword at Ice Bell, who was protected by Gale Guard's effects.

"I activate my Leo Dancer's effect! When it attacks a Monster, and damage calculation occurs... all of your Monsters are destroyed!" She revealed.

"No!" Rin screamed.

Ice Bell was immediately destroyed as Leo Dancer's sword slashed through her and the Gale Guard spell, leaving Rin to stare at her now empty field, having no cards or effects to protect her.

"But I'm not done yet! During the Battle Phase, my Leo Dancer can attack twice!" She continued.

Rin paled as she realized what that meant.

**[Insert Song End]**

"Leo Dancer, direct attack!" Serena declared.

Rin panicked as Leo Dancer punched her, making her scream as she was sent flying, then landing on her back, with the impact knocking her out.

**Rin - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Serena**

Serena smirked, right as Ruri saw the event and called out to Rin, shortly before being defeated herself.

"Obelisk Force, make sure these two safely return to their rooms." Yuri ordered.

All of the Obelisk Force members smirked as they rushed towards the two... right as the words _Pendulum Dimension_ appeared on their Duel Disks, causing a flash to go off.

* * *

Two days after Ruri and Rin's defeat, the former slowly began to wake up, causing her to lift her head as her blurred vision tried resetting itself.

Once it had, she gasped as she was in the same warehouse where Yuto had once dueled Sawatari, making her worry she was now in a new prison.

"Where am I?" She asked.

As she looked around, she eventually realized her Duel Disk was still on her arm.

"Wait, my Duel Disk? But they wouldn't..." Ruri recalled.

Her eyes widened, realizing that could only mean one thing, and looked at the nearby door. She opened it, and then took a look outside.

While it wasn't the remains of Heartland, Ruri began crying tears of joy when she failed to see a single Duel Academy building for miles.

"I... I actually escaped!" She cried.

However, it took a few seconds for her to remember that before she blacked out, Yuri had beaten her in their duel.

"But... how could I have-" Ruri questioned.

Suddenly, a message appeared on her Duel Disk, getting her attention as she opened it.

_"This is your enigmatic helper, and one of Duel Academy's two moles, speaking. If you got this message, then we succeeded in getting you out of the Fusion Dimension as planned. We knew anything we did might get intercepted, so we reverse engineered some of the Duel Disks used by Duel Academy to create a dimension transfer, one that only activated when you and your fellow captive were defeated."_

Ruri's eyes widened at that.

'Of course, that explains how I got here. Those two must have known we'd be forced to duel those two and lose!' She realized.

She continued reading.

_"I can't explain much, but for the basics details? We sent you to the Pendulum Dimension, formerly the Standard Dimension until a new kind of summoning method was given to all of its people, because we heard Xyz Fugitives were there. We don't know where they are, so we can't help you with locating them, but you need to hurry! Duel Academy already has plans to invade it, and now they have a reason to accelerate them. If you get caught, then we can't save you again, so this will be your only chance to find them."_

The message ended there, leaving Ruri nervous as she realized this was just a reprieve from the danger she was just in.

'Rin probably got the same message, so someone she knows must be here as well. As for who those Xyz Fugitives... I bet it's Yuto and my brother!' Ruri thought to herself, smiling at that last thought.

Then she gasped as she recalled that one vision of Dark Rebellion.

'Please, let what I saw have been a dream... or at least a duel where Yuto didn't get carded!' She begged, holding her hands tightly.

She left the warehouse, hoping to find some way to get information while also Rin was OK, wherever in this city she ended up at.

* * *

The scene shifted to Yuya's house, where he had been lying in bed for two days, with Yuto lying in a sleeping bag on the opposite side of the room. Besides them, the only two people in the room were Yoko and Yuzu.

"It's been two days and they still haven't woken up." Yoko mentioned worriedly.

"I still don't even know what happened to them, or at least Yuto." Yuzu mentioned.

She thought back to how Yuya called her after something happened to Yuto, but Yuya himself collapsed right as he arrived. It was terrifying, recalling how everything began after Sora has escaped from the Hospital.

"Why? Why is all of this happening? First it was my bracelet, then LDS nearly taking You Show, and now this? What's going to happen next!?" Yuzu questioned, starting to cry.

She covered her eyes with her hands.

"What if they never wake up?" She questioned.

Yoko wrapped her arm around Yuzu.

"It'll be fine. Yuya isn't that weak, and from what you've told me about Yuto, neither is he. Ever since his father vanished three years ago... Yuya's kept himself trapped in his own shell, but he woke up when he dueled against Strong, and he'll do it again here. When he does, I'm sure he'll be stronger than before." Yoko reassured her.

Yuzu sniffled for a moment, looking at her.

"No! Darling!" A familiar female voice screamed.

Both of them turned to the window in shock, seeing Mieru pressing her face against it.

"Don't leave Mieru all alone!" She begged.

"H-How did she get here!?" Yoko questioned.

"Someone really needs to restrict her access to that Crystal Apple of hers..." Yuzu remarked, her eyes white and showing a deadpan stare.

Once they saw her trying to force the windows open, Yuzu took pity on her and opened it, letting her jump inside.

"Now that I'm here, I'll definitely save you!" Mieru exclaimed.

"If you're going to do that, why not help his... cousin over there too?" Yuzu suggested.

Mieru froze at the cousin mention, turning around to see Yuto on the opposite side of the room.

"Are you sure they aren't twins?" She inquired.

"Yes, they aren't twins. Though that's a common mistake." Yuzu replied, hoping she didn't slip up with anything she said.

"Very well, I'll revive my darling and his cousin with my fortune-telling charms!" Mieru declared.

Yoko stared at her with an odd look, while Yuzu just closed her eyes as a small sweat drop formed on her face.

"You do realize they're not dead... right?" Yuzu inquired.

* * *

Riding across an area in the outskirts of the city, Yugo currently had an annoyed look on his face.

"Seriously, I'm not even native to the Pendulum Dimension, so why do I have to obey stupid traffic laws just become I'm in it?" He mumbled to himself, wishing he was back home.

As he was driving around, he felt a sudden pulse in his chest, making him stop for a moment.

"Huh? Wait, that was... why did that feel so familiar?" Yugo questioned, trying to understand it.

Suddenly, his Extra Deck glowed, getting his attention. He pulled out Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, which was currently glowing and saying something that made him gasp.

"No way, are you telling me that might have been me sensing Rin?" He asked.

His Dragon roared in confirmation, making him place Clear Wing on his Duel Disk as he let it guide the way.

'Rin, I'm coming!' He promised.

He sped up and drove through whatever he could, surprising many who saw him drive by and mistook him for a motorcyclist driving by.

It took him a minute, but eventually...

"U-Uh..." Someone groaned.

Yugo came to a stop, looking around for where the voice was coming from. It took him a while, but after looking enough times, he saw a familiar head lying in a nearby alley.

"Rin!" He shouted.

Rushing over, he carefully lifted her up. While it was clear she was still alive, and not too badly hurt? She was just as unconscious as Yuya and Yuto currently were.

"Wake up! It's me, Yugo!" He shouted.

She shifted slightly, but didn't wake up.

"Yeesh, and usually I'm the heavy sleeper between the two of us. I guess I'll need to take you someplace better for a nap until you wake up." Yugo remarked, still somewhat worried about her.

He carried her to his Duel Runner, and adjusted her to hold onto him before driving off again, though this time he slowed down for Rin's sake.

* * *

An hour later, following the weird techniques Mieru used to try and help Yuya, which included changing the color of his pajamas (or tried to with Yuto, as he unconsciously grabbed the hand of anyone who tried) for whatever reason... his eyes finally fluttered open.

"Yuya!" Yuzu smiled, seeing he was awake.

"Yuzu... Mom..." He said, still a little groggy.

As he got some food in his stomach and realized Yuto was still unconscious, Yuya was caught up to speed about everything that was going on.

"I've been asleep for two whole days!?" He asked in shock.

"Yes, and sound asleep too. Whatever caused you to collapse like you did, you've been dueling nonstop ever since your qualifier duels to enter the Junior Youth Championship, so it wouldn't be a surprise if you really needed it." Yoko answered.

Yuya blushed slightly at that.

"So, how has the Maiami Championship gone since then?" Yuya inquired.

"The first round of Junior Youth matches ends today. Around right now, Mieru Houchin from the Fortune Telling School should be..." Yuzu answered, taking out her Duel Disk to show the live feed.

She then gasped after seeing Hokuto walking onto the feed.

"Hokuto? What happened with Mieru's match?" She questioned.

Yuzu looked at the results, hoping she hadn't been disqualified for being late due to trying to help Yuya, and she hadn't... though Yuzu's eyes still widened at the result.

"Against Tsukikage from the Fuma School, she lost to a One-Turn Kill!" She revealed.

"Seriously? That really proves this is a high-level tournament, with a lot of Duelists we don't know anything about." Yuya remarked.

"And the Junior Class is already on their Round Two matches. The other day, Futoshi fought against Reira from LDS, but lost." Yuzu added.

"Reira? Isn't he the one who dueled Ayu?" He recalled.

"Yeah, and even more surprising? Where he used a Fusion Summon against her, he defeated Futoshi with a Synchro Summon." She revealed.

Yuya's eyes widened at that.

"That was my reaction too. Although, even if it's Junior Class, that kid is still from LDS. It wouldn't surprise me if he can also use Xyz and Pendulum Monsters." Yuzu added.

Bringing all three up, Yuya let out a gasp as he remembered the prior night.

"Fusion... Synchro... Xyz... and Pendulum..." He suddenly said out of nowhere.

"Huh? Yuya, is something wrong?" Yuzu asked.

"That night when I met Yuto... he and Sora told me things, and a lot more happened. Part of it is even why Yuto's still unconscious." Yuya revealed.

He looked at Yuzu, who began listening.

"He told me... that this world is one of four different dimensions." Yuya revealed.

"Four different dimensions?" Yuzu repeated.

"One for each of the summoning method connected to the Extra Deck, being the Fusion Dimension, the Synchro Dimension, the Xyz Dimension, and our own. Based on what Sora said, we used to be called the Standard Dimension until my discovery of Pendulum Summon caused it to become the Pendulum Dimension as a result." He explained.

Yuzu was surprised by that.

"Sora said he comes from the Fusion Dimension, while Yuto and Shun come from the Xyz Dimension, which is fighting a war against the Fusion Dimension... who invaded their home one day without warning. When Sora revealed most of this, he disappeared." Yuya continued.

"Disappeared?" Yuzu asked.

"Yuto said he was forced back to the Fusion Dimension because he had revealed too much. In fact, Yuto himself even seemed to recognize my father's name when he asked me about it." Yuya confirmed.

Her eyes widened at that.

"Wait, then... did your father disappear because got trapped in one of the other dimensions?" Yuzu asked.

"I'm not sure. It seemed like he was about to tell me something, but before he could? Yugo, a Duelist using a motorcycle like a Duel Disk, appeared before us." Yuya replied.

"Fusion?" Yuzu said in confusion.

"No, Yugo, not Fusion. I think the similarity of his name to the summoning method has caused some miscommunication from Yuto's side... though I'm not completely sure, since he and Shun don't seem to know the Synchro Dimension's stance in everything." He clarified.

Yuzu nodded her head at that.

"OK, so Yuto confirmed he's from the Synchro Dimension?" She asked.

"He did call him a Pawn of Fusion, though that may be due to said miscommunication behind his name, and... the fact he had the same face as me and Yuto." He answered, explaining things the best he could.

Yuzu's eyes widened at the reveal that Yuya had two people who looked like him, and not just Yuto.

"Does that mean he also had a Dragon card?" Yuzu asked.

"He did, it was called Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, which pretty much confirmed he's from the Synchro Dimension." Yuya confirmed.

Yuzu gasped at that.

"Maybe that's why Yuto thinks he's some kind of ally to the Fusion Dimension." She thought aloud.

"Huh?" Yuya blinked.

"I thought it was just a coincidence until now, but if there's really multiple worlds out there, and Yuto comes from one while this Yugo is from another... what if there's a fourth person that looks like you from the Fusion Dimension that Yuto's mistaken him for due to Yugo's name?" Yuzu theorized.

Yuya's eyes widened at that.

During their duel, Yugo honestly didn't seem to get what Yuto meant whenever he mentioned Fusion, and Yugo in turn seemed to believe that Yuto had taken something from _him_. With Yuto saying the reverse.

"You might be right, both of them spoke as if the other stole from them." Yuya mentioned.

"Then what was stolen from Yugo might be his world's version of me." Yuzu realized.

"His world's version of you?" Yuya repeated.

"Back when I met Yuto, he mistook me for someone else, and then Shun called me Ruri when I met him. If there's a version of everyone in each dimension, then... maybe Ruri is my Xyz Dimension counterpart. It wouldn't be too strange if there's a Synchro version of me Yugo knows in the same way, especially with how similar your Dragons are." She explained.

Yuya let that sink in, thinking of how Sora acted, and how a Fusion version of him and Yuzu might act.

He didn't even try to think about it for long.

"If only Yuto could confirm or deny all of this, we could... wait!" Yuya sighed, right before his eyes widened.

Yuzu saw Yuya walk to Yuto's Duel Disk, which opened as a certain card glowed.

It was Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.

"Yuya, what are you doing?" She asked.

"The reason Yuto is knocked out right now is because... he and Yugo had a duel, and for some odd reason, their Dragons had a strange reaction when fighting each other." He answered.

He looked at her.

"Neither of their effects worked on each other, and when they attacked each other in battle, they couldn't destroy each other despite having equal ATK points at the time. Even then, they only attacked that way because Yuto and Yugo seemed to be in some kind of trance until I saw their Dragons get flung towards each other." Yuya revealed.

Yuzu gasped.

"So, Yuto's unconscious because his own Dragon fell on him?" Yuzu asked.

"That's right, and not only that, but... I swear that I heard it and Yugo's Dragons crying from their cards after it happened." He added.

Yuzu's eyes widened, now realizing why Yuya was holding Dark Rebellion.

"You're thinking Yuto's Dragon might be able to tell us more about this." She realized.

"Yeah, provided I'm actually right about hearing it." Yuya confirmed.

He looked at the card, hoping it would respond to him... unfortunately, either he couldn't hear Dark Rebellion, or the Dragon refused to speak because it wasn't his card.

"Nothing..." Yuya sighed.

"What about Odd-Eyes? Maybe talking to your own Dragon might work." Yuzu suggested.

Yuya's eyes widened at that, and took Odd-Eyes out from his deck.

This time, he did feel some kind of sensation, but not a direct answer. It seemed like Odd-Eyes was _trying_ to talk, but Yuya couldn't hear anything.

"I think Odd-Eyes is trying, but I can't hear it either." Yuya replied, lowering his head.

"I guess we won't be able to get any answers until Yuto wakes up." Yuzu remarked.

Both of them just stood there, until they both remembered about Shun, then pointed at each other as they both realized it.

"Shun might know something!" They exclaimed.

It took them a few minutes to realize how close their faces were, making both of them blush before they both looked away in embarrassment.

"Uh... I'll try to send him a message using Yuto's Duel Disk." Yuzu offered.

"Yeah, I'll trust you with that." Yuya agreed.

An awkward silence followed as Yuya just stood in place, with Yuzu trying to figure out Yuto's unique Duel Disk.

* * *

Within the walls of Duel Academy, the sight of Sora could be seen as his body laid on a medical bed, with some kind of visor over his eyes that scanned his memories.

"Memory scanning at 99%, we're almost ready."

"That's good, the Professor will be glad this was finished sooner than later."

The door soon opened, causing everyone to see a familiar face walk inside.

"I came to pick up the information from Sora's memory, please tell me it's finished or at least close enough I don't have to wait that long?" Serena asked impatiently.

Unlike before, Serena wasn't wearing her Duel Academy outfit, as she and Yuri were told to dress like locals for their next mission.

Her new attire was a red jacket, a broad grey skirt, a black vest that's half unzipped over a white shirt, and large black/red boots.

"We only need another minute or two. You should be able to start uploading the information to your Duel Disk while we finish on our end." A staff member answered.

"Alright." She replied.

Walking to the computer, she began transferring the information to her Duel Disk, with Sora's memory scanning being completed a minute into the transfer process.

"OK, let's see what he saw..." She said to herself.

She walked out the room as she began looking through all the information, though for some strange reason, there were some memories that didn't make it through, likely because of how his duel with Shun left him injured.

As she kept searching, there were a few certain details she managed to find, including two familiar faces.

"Hmm..." Serena hummed.

"Based on that sound, you've found something interesting, didn't you?" Yuri guessed.

Serena turned to see Yuri in a purple buttoned shirt that he had open, white shorts that reached to his knees, a white vest that's half unzipped over a black shirt, and large black/blue boots.

"Take a look for yourself." She replied, holding out her Duel Disk.

Yuri looked, humming with interest as he saw a certain duo.

Following that, the two entered the Professor's chambers, standing before Leo Akaba himself.

"Tell me, what details of interest have you found in Sora's memories?" He inquired.

"It's hard to be certain due to apparent damage he took from what seems to have been a battle against one of the Xyz Fugitives, but we can get a general picture. Starting with these two in particular." Yuri began.

He showed an image of Yuya and Yuzu, making Leo notice the similarities they shared with Yuri and Serena, which told him only one thing.

"So, they're the fourth pieces residing in the Pendulum Dimension." Leo stated.

"Sora didn't join Leo Duel School as originally planned, likely because he found these two. Perhaps he hoped that doing so would help him keep a better eye on everything. Although, but I'm just guessing on that end." Serena revealed.

Leo said nothing for a moment, then he spoke.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" He asked.

"Well, there seems to be some kind of tournament going on that he was participating in alongside the school he joined, and his words may or may not have given away his allegiances depending on factors he couldn't have been aware of. Although, it seems like all their best Duelists are gathered there, so if we invade now..." Serena continued.

"This may be our best chance to do so." Leo realized.

Yuri and Serena stood as they awaited the specifics of their orders.

"For now, investigate the area around this tournament, and try to locate Ruri and Rin. To decide if factors are favorable for us to invade, I'll send someone with you who will give the order if they deem it necessary." He declared.

Both of them nodded.

"Now, the two of you shall begin your mission. Do _not_ let me down." Leo warned.

"Understood." They replied.

The elite duo walked out of the room, and as they walked down the hall, Serena saw a familiar man waiting for them.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" He greeted.

"Barrett?" Serena said in surprise.

"So, you're our escort. That's quite unexpected after your injury." Yuri remarked.

"The initial stage of your mission is considered acceptable for me to accompany you. Also, I have an order to make sure a certain Duelist doesn't trap you in a duel." Barrett answered.

That caught the duo's attention.

"He's never warned us to avoid a Duelist before... which means someone dangerous knows more than they should." Serena realized.

"Even if I can't duel him, I'm quite interested to see who it is." Yuri remarked.

Serena swung the back of her fist into his face, briefly pressing it into his head.

"Don't even think about it." Serena warned.

Barrett just gave an awkward, yet professional stare, at what he knew as a common interaction between the two.

* * *

The trio soon teleported into Maiami City, walking into public view as they noticed a giant TV display, which showed Hokuto making the winning move of his duel.

"Looks like footage of that tournament Sora was in." Serena remarked.

"Meaning we should probably follow any crowds we can find." Yuri realized.

As they and Barrett stood there, the You Show trio chose to run by, trying to get to the stadium as fast as they could. Serena briefly noticed them, then looked away.

"No need, I think I've already got a general idea of where to go." She replied.

However, during that brief moment, Ayu saw Serena's face, making her stop.

"Huh?" She blinked.

"Ayu, what are you doing?" Tatsuya asked.

"Hurry up!" Futoshi shouted.

"Sorry, I thought I saw Yuzu over there!" Ayu apologized, catching up to them.

The trio waited before looking in the trio's direction.

"We should probably wait until we can confirm that your Pendulum counterparts are inside the stadium." Barrett suggested.

"Then I guess we'll spend today trying to find where our two runaways are." Yuri decided, smirking slightly.

Meanwhile, inside the stadium itself...

"YUYA!"

Yuzu and her father watched as Gongenzaka pulled Yuya into a tight hug, rubbing his face against his cheek as he cried.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, have never been this happy! Do you know how worried I've been these past two days?" He exclaimed.

"It wasn't that big a deal..." Yuya sheepishly replied.

"No, we were all really worried, like what would we do if Yuya doesn't wake up?" Shuzo remarked.

Yuzu gave an awkward laugh in response.

"Yuya!"

Everyone turned to see the You Show Juniors all running towards them.

"Good, you're OK!" Tatsuya smiled.

"I'm so happy, I have shivers! Now if Sora comes back..." Futoshi exclaimed.

"You Show will be back to normal!" Ayu cheered.

Yuya and Yuzu both gave sad reactions to that, though no one noticed.

"That's right, we can't celebrate yet." Gongenzaka agreed.

"Sorry Yuya, we kept on searching after that, but-" Shuzo apologized.

"About that..." Yuya interjected.

Everyone looked at him, noticing his and Yuzu's expressions.

"Sora... probably won't be coming back." He revealed.

That surprised everyone.

"Yuya told me he was able to find Sora the night he left the hospital, but... he just ran off again, and then Yuya lost him. I'm not sure why, but it seems losing to Shun was too much for him." Yuzu explained for him.

That soured the mood a little, though before anything else could be said by the You Show group...

"DARLING!"

All of them turned to see Mieru, who was staring at Yuya.

"You've finally awoken, Darling!" Mieru smiled happily.

While she was saying this, Yuya noticed someone else standing nearby, making his eyes widen slightly.

"My prayer... the prayer I risked my life for... it really worked!" She cheered, lunging at him.

Unfortunately, she missed when Yuya began walking towards the person he saw, making her crash into the ground. Yuzu looked at her before following Yuya's gaze to see Shun was leaning against the wall, looking at him.

"Shun? Why is he here?" Gongenzaka asked, surprised he was bothering to show any form of socializing.

Shun walked up to Yuya, who felt a bit nervous as he approached, despite him and Yuzu using Yuto's Duel Disk to contact him for this moment.

"Gongenzaka, do you mind telling us about the matches later?" Yuzu requested.

Gongenzaka noticed her wave her hand a certain way, making him realize this was likely about the other night.

"Come on everyone, seems like this is a private conversation." He stated, pushing everyone towards the stands.

In just a few seconds, the three were all alone.

"Alright, I'm here like you asked, so tell me... what happened to Yuto!?" He questioned, showing his slight distrust with a focused glare.

Yuya took a moment to calm himself before he finally answered.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. Ruri's rematch with Yuri ended in another loss, and Rin just couldn't overcome the Fusions of Serena's Moonlight deck. However, it seems their mysterious rescuers actually expected this and programmed their Duel Disks to send them to the Pendulum Dimension if they lost, which means since Yuri and Serena are now in Maiami City... things will get messy. Now, it might seem like Rin and Yugo reunited too fast, but I have my reasons for it.**

**Anyways, for the duels I created in the first half of the chapter? Please tell me your thoughts about my prototype style for writing duels, since I'll need to refine and improve it before I make Ch 3. Let me know where I was strong, weak, what I should add, and what I should remove. I probably won't use every suggestion, but any advice on how to improve would help me out greatly.**

**Now, something I'd like to say about the scene where Yuya tells Yuzu about what he learned, and the things they theorize and such? This may seem like a bit too much this early in, but like I already said with Yugo having already found Rin (albeit unconscious for now), I have my reasons for doing it at this point. That, and back when I saw Episode 37 and 38? I had theorized the same things, especially once Serena made her debut, so I figured they could too.**

**Something important this chapter brought up is that some canon cards, not unlike the way I have the Dimension Dragons be unable to destroy or use their effects on each other, have slight alterations. I can't remember which off the top of my head, but one of the three stories above made a similar change to a canon card. Anyways, I'll be marking these with an Asterisk by their names.**

**Because of reasons I can't reveal yet, Starve Venom has had its effects slightly nerfed, not unlike how Ch 1 showed I slightly buffed Odd-Eyes' effects when it deals battle damage. Some of you may not like this, but this is my story, and for what I have planned ahead? These alterations are necessary. Luckily, the number of cards that I'll be doing this to won't be very high to balance this. Like I said before, I like to shake things up a bit, and this counts as shaking.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we are with Chapter 3, and while there were few people who left reviews (likely because I posted the story on New Year's), I'm happy to see that the reception to the opening chapters was positive. Also, I'd like to give thanks to ZarcEternal, who helped explain why Clear Wing's effect was able to work as it had, since it turns out I just misunderstood the wording for part of its effect.**

**Also, this story now has a prequel, a short story that mainly covers how the relationship of each dimensional pair developed before the events of Chapter 1. There are a few important details in this prequel, so I'd recommend reading it, especially since the Yuya and Yuzu chapter reveals something I was unable to share here, and my reasoning for it will also be mentioned in the end notes.**

**To answer a question a reviewer asked about Yuri? Yes, he is intentionally a little OOC, as it's heavily implied by canon that he ended up like he did because he was separated from Serena, which did not happen for reasons the prequel will eventually cover. That being said, there's another reason for that, which is tied to why Serena's acting just like Yuri does.**

**So, before we officially begin? There are two things I want to cover. The first is how I'll be handling Action Duels, which will rely less on Action Cards due to how I, like many, feel they were too much of a gimmick for a lot of characters, mostly due to how easily the Security Officers could use them at the start of the Synchro Dimension arc. I'm also limiting them to the Pendulum Dimension, with the others having alternatives.**

**For the second, I'd like to clarify a possible misunderstanding some people may have made with Ruri and Rin in the previous chapter. Neither of them are afraid of Fusion Monsters themselves. While I can't share Rin's reasons for being afraid here, the reason Ruri acted as she did was due to her being cautious and paying attention to any action Yuri took in their duel, as she knew that he might toy with her... and she was right.**

**Now, with all of that said? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 3 - Brutality of Ryozanpaku]**

A feeling of heaviness suddenly hit Rin, seeing nothing but blackness and hearing nothing but distorted noise from her surroundings mixing together.

'Huh? What's going on?' She thought.

"Hmm? Hey, Rin! Wake up!" Yugo shouted.

Rin heard him, but it registered in her ears in a fairly jumbled manner. She tried to wake up, having a little trouble, and then felt someone's arms touch her.

"Rin, are you alright!?" Yugo asked.

Her eyes finally opened, and while she could make out Yugo's face? She hadn't done so enough to realize it wasn't Yuri standing above her.

"Ah! Get away from me you creep!" She screamed.

Yugo's face made an odd, but pained expression as Rin's knee slammed into his gut. This caused a chain reaction, making Yugo roll back into his Duel Runner, which fell over and made a loud crashing sound that caught her attention.

The moment she saw it was Yugo holding his still hurting stomach while leaning against his tipped Duel Runner, her eyes widened as they began getting misty.

"Seriously, Rin... why'd you do that?" He questioned, hurt both physically and emotionally.

As the shock began settling in, the brief memory of the vision she saw of Clear Wing falling on Yugo while escaping from Duel Academy rose to the surface of her mind, as did the fright it had given her. That caused the tears in her eyes to finally leak out, catching Yugo's attention.

"You've always been an idiot, and yet... you came all this way to find me. Somehow letting me see you duel and possibly getting hurt or killed! All while I felt powerless, and alone, and... feeling that I'd be to blame if the worst happened to you during all of it." Rin shakily said.

She looked at him angrily, and then...

"Yugo, you dummy!" She screamed.

Yugo looked at her in surprise as Rin hugged him, sobbing uncontrollably. He ignored the pain in his stomach as he gently hugged her back, able to understand that she just mistook him for her kidnapper when she attacked him.

Once she got everything out of her system, Yugo made sure their Duel Runner wasn't broken, and was relieved when he just had to reattach a loose battery.

"Seriously, aren't you always telling me to be careful with this? I can't replace any parts that get damaged or broken while we're in this dimension." He warned.

"Yeah, I deserved that." Rin apologized, lowering her head slightly.

Right after saying that, she finally bothered to look around them, seeing the sights of Maiami City for the first time.

"Speaking of dimensions, where are we? This place doesn't look like it's either part of the City or Duel Academy." Rin asked, still looking around.

"From what our Duel Runner's screen said when I got here, this place is called the Pendulum Dimension." Yugo answered.

"Pendulum, huh." She replied.

A few moments later, she remembered how Serena utterly demolished her in their duel, letting out a gasp that made Yugo jump slightly.

"Yugo, how did you manage to get me out of the Fusion Dimension!?" She asked.

"There's a Dimension named after me?" He said in surprise.

"No, not the _Yugo_ Dimension, the _Fusion_ Dimension." Rin corrected.

"Uh... sorry, but I'm still hearing you say my name." Yugo replied.

"Seriously? How do you keep mistaking your name with the word Fusion-" She questioned.

She suddenly stopped, finally hearing it as well.

"Oh... you're right, it does sound a lot like your name when you say it. Let me write it down." Rin decided.

She moved near the ground and traced out the spelling of Yugo's name compared to the word Fusion.

Taking a look, Yugo saw the difference.

"Yugo... Fusion... Yugo... Fusion..." He repeated, trying to notice a difference.

After a few seconds, he realized a part of the latter was a tad longer when said.

"Oh, so that's why the guy who kidnapped you kept saying that. He's a real jerk then!" Yugo realized, clenching his fist.

"And yet you beat his Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, so you should be proud." Rin praised.

Yugo looked at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about? The guy who took you uses a Dragon called Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon?" He questioned.

"Huh? No, I've never heard of a card by that name." Rin replied.

She then paused, as did Yugo, with both realizing something.

"Uh... I think we both might need to share what we know, because both of us seem to be getting something wrong here." She suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that." Yugo agreed.

"Since you tried to find me after I was taken, you should start." Rin stated.

Yugo nodded and thought back.

"I noticed you had been gone too long, so I went looking for you, and then saw this hooded guy holding onto your unconscious form. I was about to drive towards him, but he disappeared before I could follow him. Just when I thought that was it... Clear Wing took me to another Dimension." He began.

Rin's eyes become white dots at that.

"I knew your Dragon was unusual, but not supernatural." Rin remarked.

Yugo gave an awkward chuckle at that, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Anyways, I found myself in some kind of Wasteland, full of nothing but ruins and demolished buildings. Does that sound like the Fusion Dimension?" He continued.

"No, but I was trapped in a tower on an island, so I may have been in that area." Rin replied with uncertainty.

Yugo blinked at that, making Rin sigh.

"Just keep going, and hopefully, I might be able to confirm or deny this place as the Fusion Dimension." She stated.

"OK. I wasn't sure why at first, but when I arrived... it was empty. Not even a sign of whoever did the damage, yet Clear Wing seemed to be speaking to me, saying that you were there somewhere." Yugo revealed.

Rin's eyes widened at that.

"Wait, your Dragon spoke to you? As in its alive?" She questioned.

"Sort of. It's more like he's conveying something to me, but since I never saw you in that wasteland, I'm not sure if there's something making it too hard for me to hear him, or something else that may have caused us to go to the wrong place." Yugo admitted.

"A talking Monster already sounds crazy enough, but since other Dimensions exist..." Rin replied, deciding that anything he said was likely the truth.

Yugo nodded, then closed his eyes.

"Eventually, while I was there? I saw someone with the same face as me. The same face I saw under the hood of the guy who kidnapped you, mentioning something to me about what I didn't realize was him mentioning Fusion, and then we summoned our Dragons to battle each other. That Dragon was Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon." He revealed.

Rin gasped, catching his attention.

"Yugo... that definitely wasn't him. The guy who kidnapped me, Yuri? He toys with his opponents. The guy you mentioned was too direct, not to mention his Dragon isn't the one _I_ Dueled against." She replied.

"Hold on, so there are two people who have the same face as me!?" Yugo exclaimed in surprise.

"It's not just you, because I found two people with the same face as me while trying to escape from the Fusion Dimension... and only one of them was a friend." Rin confirmed.

That made Yugo's eyes widen.

"Seriously? You too!?" He asked.

"Yeah. The one who was my friend was named Ruri, and based on the Dragon you fought, and what I heard her say? You were likely fighting the you of her home, because she uses Xyz Monsters... which explains why she was able to be so brave during our entire escape. To her, being captured was nothing compared to seeing her home in ruins." She replied.

"No kidding, the destruction makes the Commons' area look like the average garden." Yugo agreed.

"That stamina is the only reason we got as far as we did... which is when things got bad. Not only did Yuri suddenly show up, but so did the girl with our face that's our Fusion counterpart, who called herself Serena. We had to duel them both, with me Dueling Serena." Rin continued.

She lowered her head, making her hair shadow her eyes.

"While I was there, I was... I was completely terrified! The Fusion Monsters didn't bother me, but the Duelists there... they seemed so violent, aggressive, and what you just said about the Xyz Dimension being in ruins makes them even more horrible. I made some bad card plays during my duel because of it." She cried.

"Rin..." Yugo said worriedly.

"Yet despite that, I can tell she had that duel won from the moment it began. Not only did I never get a chance to attack, but I failed to destroy any of her Monsters." She revealed.

Rin covered her eyes and began crying her eyes out. Realizing he needed to help her feel better, he patted around his pockets for something.

"Here." He offered.

Rin moved her hands, seeing a cloth, which she took.

"Sorry, I just... you don't know how terrifying that Yuri guy was when we Dueled. The way he commanded his Dragon makes me question how many of the Duelists from the Fusion Dimension fight like they do." She apologized.

"Don't be, what I saw in the Xyz Dimension already gives me a good idea of how they duel." Yugo replied.

She didn't say anything, not even wanting to imagine what it was like.

"Well, it seems like you got away somehow after you lost that duel, because I've definitely never been to the Fusion Dimension based on what you've told me." He added.

"Really? Then... how did I escape, and then end up in this dimension?" Rin questioned.

Yugo scratched his head, then gasped as he remembered something.

"Hey, there was this message icon on your Duel Disk! Maybe that's related to how you ended up here!" He realized.

"You only remembered this just now!?" Rin shouted.

Yugo held out his hands at Rin's angry face, letting her look at her Duel Disk to read the message, and then gasped.

"What? What is it?" Yugo asked.

"Those two people who helped us escape... they knew we might be eventually be forced in a duel, and rigged our Duel Disks to send us here when we lost." She revealed.

He blinked in confusion.

"I'll explain that later, but it seems Ruri's also here, and it won't be long before Duel Academy tries to capture us again. Not only that, but they were already planning on coming here." Rin continued.

Yugo's eyes widened, catching Rin's attention.

"What's wrong? Does something about that sound familiar to you?" She asked.

"It does. When I was Dueling my... Xyz counterpart, here? There was also another guy with my face, one who tried to stop our duel." Yugo admitted.

Rin gasped, realizing something about why she and Ruri were captured, making Yugo look at her with concern.

"Rin?" He asked.

"Yugo, we need to find them! I don't know why, but Duel Academy's been capturing people who look like me, and if there's someone who looks like you in each dimension..." She exclaimed, revealing what she just thought.

"Then... there's another version of you in this world they're likely after, and now you and Ruri being here will make them invade sooner!" Yugo realized.

She nodded her head, making Yugo gulp slightly.

* * *

Yuya sat against the wall, looking pale as Yuzu stared at him, lightly shaking him to try and snap him out of it.

"That whole talking was terrifying..." He weakly remarked.

"Well, at least you got through it all, and Shun seems to have accepted what you said. At least, by whatever his... unique standards of acceptance are." Yuzu mentioned.

Yuya let out a sigh.

"True, he did seem to accept that we're taking care of Yuto until he wakes up since it means he's OK. Although, it seems more like he only accepted that because you look like his sister more than I look like him, considering that last glare of his. I don't think he trusts me, if he ever will." He remarked.

Yuzu replied with a forced laugh, having no real counter to that.

Both of them soon loud sounds of horrified screams, making them jump as they realized it came from the stadium.

"What was that!?" Yuzu questioned.

"Come on, we better see which Duelists are on the field right now." Yuya realized.

They both ran into the stadium, and once they saw Yaiba against his opponent?

*"SCREAM!"*

Those in the crowd not vocally reacting to the sight only watched it in horror, with the children having their eyes covered or crying into their parents' arms because they were unfortunate enough to have seen the first few moments of the horrible sight currently happening before them.

"What... is this!?" Yuya questioned.

Yaiba tried to grab an Action Card, only for Kachidoki to slam him with a strong martial arts strike that left him nearly immobile, right as Kachidoki's Monster slashed the rest of his Life Points away.

**Yaiba Todo - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Isao Kachidoki**

Once the match was over, the crowd began booing Kachidoki in unison, finding what they saw had been way too violent for an Action Duel, much less a normal one.

"So, the rumors about Ryozanpaku's Dueling style are true..." Shuzo remarked.

"What do you mean?" Yuya asked.

It was at that moment he, the rest of You Show, and Gongenzaka saw him and Yuzu joined them at their seats.

"You finished your talk with Shun?" Gongenzaka asked.

"Yeah." Yuya nodded.

"Well, to explain? Ryozanpaku is a Duel School known for having a mindset of winning being the only important part of a duel, which had made it second to Leo Duel School for many years until Action Duels became commonplace. From there, they began using... well, you saw clearly how Yaiba was kept from grabbing any Action Cards." Shuzo explained.

"No wonder the crowd's hating how he Dueled. While the jump I made during my match with Masumi was dangerous, I willingly chose to do it. Who wants to duel someone that could hurt you at any moment, just to guarantee they'll win?" Yuzu asked, staring at Kachidoki on the field.

"It was bad enough that many parents who sent their kids there immediately pulled them out and revoked their tuition money, having not been aware the school was teaching their children to do the same." Shuzo added.

Futoshi got the shivers as usual, only this time he didn't actually state the fact out loud.

"Such withdrawals have actually reached a point where it's been said they're in the tournament this year because they're at risk of closing down. They now only have only one or two dozen students left, and only three of them managed to qualify for the Maiami Championship, so if all of them lose..." Shuzo added.

"If that is true, they only have themselves to blame." Yuzu replied.

Yuya just stared at the field, thinking about the things Yuto and Shun said about their home, and how they were forced into a world of Dueling not unlike Kachidoki's.

Once the shock passed, Nico Smiley took his microphone and began speaking.

"W-With that, all of our Round 1 matches in the Junior Youth division have been completed! To every Duelist that's managed to move on, ready your cards to see who your next opponent will be!" He announced.

Masumi ran towards the medical ward as Yaiba was carried off in a stretcher, with Hokuto staying behind to learn of his next opponent.

"It looks like my opponent is Yuzo Tanegashima from Surprise Duel School." Gongenzaka revealed.

"And my opponent is Mikiyo Naname of the Duel Girls Club." Yuzu replied.

Yuya gasped at his opponent.

"Yuya? Who did you get?" Tatsuya asked, sounding worried.

He turned his Duel Disk around, causing everyone to see his opponent was none other than... Isao Kachidoki.

"Oh no." Yuzu realized.

"I had a feeling this kind of duel might come up one day... a duel where I can't rely on any Action Cards." Yuya remarked.

That surprised You Show's younger members.

"You won't use any Action Cards!?" Futoshi exclaimed in disbelief.

"Strong Ishijima did tell Yuya in their duel that Pro Duelists use few to no Action Cards, so this is probably a good chance for Yuya to take that next step. One might even say this duel was meant to happen." Gongenzaka mentioned.

Yuya looked at the field, causing Kachidoki to briefly glance at him before he left. Their eyes each leaving the message that they would win their upcoming match.

* * *

Back at the Sakaki House, the sight of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's card was seen by Yuto's Duel Disk, having not been put back inside by Yuya after he took it out. It stayed that way for a while... then began to glow out of nowhere.

Suddenly, Yuto let out a slight grunt before finally opening his eyes, weakly lifting himself up from his current position.

"My head..." He grunted, putting his hand on it as he felt it throb slightly.

The door opened right as he said that. Looking towards it, he saw Yoko walk into the room, surprised to see he had woken up.

"It seems your finally awake. Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Uh... yeah, at least enough that I don't feel like I'm dying or anything. That being said, where am I exactly?" Yuto replied, barely recalling what happened after his Dragon's massive form crashed into him.

"You're familiar with my son, Yuya, are you not? This is his home." Yoko revealed.

That surprised Yuto somewhat, though he managed to avoid showing it (or just barely did), so Yoko failed to notice him react to her reply.

"I see, and... where is he right now?" He asked.

"Yuya's currently at the Maiami Championship, so you can either wait for him to come back for the day, or go there yourself. That is, if you feel like you've recovered enough after your long nap. Although, I'm certain you probably want to fill your belly a little first." Yoko answered.

Hearing he had been out for two days caught him off-guard, and he decided it was probably for the best that he didn't risk bringing any attention to himself by going outside when his body likely needed more time to recover.

"I see, thank you. And I could use some food right now." He replied.

Yoko nodded before walking out of the room, followed by Yuto reaching for Dark Rebellion's card, which began communicating with him.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Though what exactly happened to me in that duel?" Yuto replied, hoping his Dragon had some answers.

Dark Rebellion's card conveyed its response, mentioning that it couldn't completely explain it. Just as he let out a sigh, his Dragon revealed Yuya and Yuzu had theorized a few things he might want to hear, and might help him add more info that _might_ lead them to finding the answer.

"Alright, guess I'll have to wait for them." Yuto decided.

Luckily for him, due to having no idea that all of today's matches were already finished, Yuya and Yuzu chose that time to walk into the former's room.

'Or not...' He thought in surprise.

"Glad to see you finally woke up. I didn't expect to come home and have my mom tell me that you finally woke up." Yuya remarked.

"And I didn't expect to hear I was asleep for two whole days." Yuto replied.

He soon sat himself up, no longer feeling comfortable staying in his prior position.

"Anyways, my Dragon told me that while I was asleep, you two were talking about a few things I might want to hear. So, care to share?" He inquired.

"Oh, so it actually heard all of that? Well..." Yuya replied.

He and Yuzu explained everything, including the likely fact that Yugo was not Ruri's actual captor, and that the real captor seemed to have kidnapped his friend as well. Once he heard this, Yuto punched the ground in anger.

"So, a member of Duel Academy may have been deceiving me all along? Damn it!" He screamed, tightening his fist.

"H-Hey, don't beat yourself up! Me and Yuya only managed to notice this when we caught how similarly Yugo's name and Fusion are said." Yuzu reassured him.

"That's still not an excuse! As much as I want to save Ruri, I don't want to end up losing myself to the point Shun's let himself fall, otherwise..." He replied.

Yuzu went silent, remembering the one time they spoke.

"She really is as important to you as Yuzu is to me, isn't she?" Yuya realized.

Hearing that, Yuzu blushed a little.

"More than I can say... out of embarrassment, that is." Yuto replied, turning away as he scratched his cheek.

He started blushing, making Yuzu give a silent gasp.

'No way! Are they actually-' She wondered.

"Well, now that we've answered your questions, here's one of ours. The other night? You asked me about my father, and clearly seemed surprised when I told you who he was." Yuya replied.

Yuto sighed, having a feeling that would come up at some point.

"From what I've learned since I've been here, your father disappeared 3 years ago before a match to defend his title as Champion, and it was because... he may been trapped in the Fusion Dimension around that time." He revealed as he closed his eyes.

Yuya and Yuzu gasped at that, but kept listening, hoping for a clearly answer to why he didn't show up for his duel.

"Wait... then does that mean he also visit your world?" Yuya asked.

"He did, and the biggest regret of my people is, when he visited the Xyz Dimension? It was... to warn us about Duel Academy's incoming invasion." Yuto revealed.

"He knew it was coming? But how!?" Yuzu asked, partially in disbelief.

"No idea, but the fact he came from this dimension was the main reason Shun and I even came here. Either way, he failed to convince us about the invasion, and it wasn't long before he disappeared. Since he knew about the invasion, most of my surviving people believe he left to try and stop the Invasion before it happened." He explained.

"Then, my dad has been missing all this time, because he's..." Yuya realized.

"Either he was carded after losing to the overwhelming odds of Duel Academy's forces and/or numbers, or is simply trapped in the Fusion Dimension." Yuto confirmed.

Hearing that, Yuya felt himself become a little misty eyed.

"I knew he was no coward. All this time, he was the man mom and I always knew he was." He said, feeling a huge weight lifted from him.

"But... how did he even know about the invasion to begin with?" Yuzu asked.

"We aren't sure, but Shun and I were under the belief that someone in this dimension could be the mastermind behind the invasion, possibly the leader hiding outside of the Fusion Dimension to make it harder for someone to trace them. Our theory was further fueled when we saw those from LDS, who have similar badges to the soldiers of Duel Academy." Yuto answered.

"Wait, as in you thought Reiji Akaba was responsible?" Yuya asked.

"This world shouldn't have had access to Fusion, Xyz, or Synchro Monsters like it currently does, even if only in their basic form compared to the other dimensions. The fact that it did was strong evidence of someone who had been to other worlds. Shun felt that anyone using Fusion was a Duel Academy soldier for that reason, and at first... I did as well." Yuto continued.

Neither Yuya or Yuzu could find a reason against believing that themselves, so they didn't say anything in response.

"Is that related to why Shun is working with LDS now?" Yuzu inquired.

"It is. After Shun defeated the trio of students I stopped you from helping, Reiji met with him and revealed he wasn't allied with Duel Academy, even revealing he was why they haven't invaded this dimension yet. In fact, he seemed to have already known that Sora was a Duel Academy spy." Yuto confirmed.

"And the reason why Masumi seemingly forgave him for what he did is...?" She continued.

"Because he wasn't actually at fault for LDS' missing members. We also stole a Duel Disk from one of Duel Academy's soldiers, hoping we could learn how to reverse the carding process, so we all had a reason to fight Duel Academy as allies." Yuto answered.

He let out a deep breath.

"Anyways, unless you two have some kind of explanation about what happened to me and Yugo when we summoned our Dragons? Then there's nothing more I can tell you." He finished.

"I'm afraid not." Yuya replied.

Yuto sighed, though his expression showed he had already expected that would likely be the case.

"Well, I guess I should take that offer of your mom's food now." He decided.

Right around that time, Dark Rebellion sensed something, but didn't pay it much mind because the feeling was too faint for the Dragon to think it was anything special.

It wouldn't be until much later that the Xyz Monster would realize what... or rather _who_ had been the source of that faint feeling.

* * *

The next day of the tournament soon arrived, and Gongenzaka was currently having his match against Yuzo, wearing his headband as a blindfold due to some kind of strategy he was using against him.

Eventually, he turned in one direction and pointed his finger.

"Battle! I attack directly with Susano-O!" Gongenzaka declared.

"How did you know!?" Yuzo screamed.

The sitting Super Heavy Samurai let out a low hum before swinging its naginata towards Yuzo, causing him to be struck and fall out of the sheet cover that had let him blend in with the Action Field's background.

**Yuzo Tanegashima - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Noboru Gongenzaka**

Everyone began cheering as Gongenzaka uncovered his eyes.

"It was nothing!" He declared.

"And the Transformational Dueling style has been defeated!" Nico announced.

As everyone cheered, the young You Show trio wasn't able to celebrate.

"Yuya's up next." Tatsuya stated.

"Yeah." Futoshi replied, lightly nodding.

As the time between this match and the next was immediate, Nico continued announcing.

"Now, for our next match? Let's get the introductions started!" He shouted with excitement.

Yuya soon walked onto the field.

"First to the field, from You Show Duel School, it's the boy who brought Pendulum Summoning to the world... Yuya Sakaki!" He announced.

Everyone began cheering for Yuya, who waved to the crowd and smiled at them.

"Go for it Yuya!"

"Don't lose!"

"Show us your Entertainment Dueling!"

Yuya let out a soft and friendly laugh in response.

"Thanks everyone!" He replied.

His friends from You Show all watched him walk to the center of the arena, with worried look on their faces.

"Hey, don't get nervous from just watching." Shuzo remarked.

"How can we not? Yuya said he wouldn't use Action Cards because of Kachidoki's brutal Dueling style, so even if he doesn't get attacked..." Yuzu replied.

Shuzo went silent at that.

"Not only that, but as it turns out? Kachidoki was the runner-up from last year's tournament." She revealed.

That made the young trio of You Show gasp.

"So, he's not just Dueling against someone who'd attack him if he tried to grab an Action Card, but last year's runner up?" Ayu asked.

"I'm afraid so." Yuzu confirmed.

"That may be true, but that's not enough to truly gauge his strength." Gongenzaka remarked.

Everyone turned as he sat down alongside them.

"Not to mention no Duelist is invincible. Even if you win hundreds of duels, no Duelist can go their whole life without losing. For a school that only cares about winning, that may be the greatest weakness of Ryozanpaku's students." He said with confidence.

Yuzu didn't say anything, but held onto her Pendulum necklace, trying to have faith in Yuya's chances of winning.

"Now, for his opponent, and someone the crowd is clearly against for the brutal Dueling style both he and his school possess? The ace of Ryozanpaku, who managed to be last year's runner-up... it's Isao Kachidoki!" Nico announced.

Everyone began to boo at that, but they were rendered silent when the sound of a gong was heard.

On the side of the arena where Kachidoki was set to enter from, the entirety of Ryozanpaku's student body and its president were gathered, with the rest of the crowd multiple seats away from them.

"All of them went silent, just from that?" Ayu asked, already feeling scared.

"That's proof of their belief, which is that Dueling and smiles don't go together. It's like their mere presence steals your ability to enjoy a duel." Shuzo replied.

Kachidoki entered the arena shortly after he finished. It was then that Yuto could be seen watching from the entry way, focusing his gaze at Kachidoki's eyes.

"I never thought someone in this dimension could have the same eyes as Shun..." He said to himself.

Soon, Yuto noticed a giant Action Card surrounded by hundreds of smaller white cards.

"Now that both competitors are on the field, let's choose the Action Field!" Nico shouted.

The big card spun until it was revealed to be _Bamboo Forest of the Immortals_ , causing Yuya to all smile. Kachidoki raised an eye at this.

'Why does he look happy right now?' He questioned.

"Luck's on Yuya side! This is the perfect field for him to fight Kachidoki in!" Shuzo exclaimed.

"It is?" Tatsuya asked.

"For a duel where Yuya said he won't rely on Action Cards? Definitely." Yuzu replied.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, would similarly have an advantage on this field." Gongenzaka added.

The field soon formed, revealing a series of floating islands both separated and connected, with groves of bamboo growing almost everywhere. Kachidoki quickly kicked the air, aiming his foot at Yuya's form.

"Yuya Sakaki, prepare to see your Dueling be swallowed by the darkness!" Kachidoki declared.

"Not a chance!" Yuya replied, readying his Duel Disk.

Kachidoki did the same, causing the audience to tense up, with everyone wondering which Duel School's style would prevail.

"Duelists locked in battle!" Kachidoki exclaimed.

"Kicking against the Earth and dancing in the air alongside their Monsters as they storm through this field!" Yuya continued.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!" Kachidoki continued, punching the air with his fists.

Nico Smiley snapped his fingers at that moment.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

With that, the Action Cards scattered across the field.

**Isao Kachidoki - 4000 LP**   
**Yuya Sakaki - 4000 LP**

Kachidoki made a challenging motion with his hand, giving Yuya the first turn.

**Turn 1: Yuya (5 Cards)**

'If Kachidoki's letting me go first, then he doesn't know the special feature about this field, so my first move should be...' He thought.

He grabbed a card.

"I summon Entermate Silver Claw!" He declared.

A silver wolf with a circus theme jumped into view.

**(Level 4, ATK: 1800 | DEF: 700)**

Yuya jumped onto his Monster as it rushed through the bamboo forests.

"Go Yuya!"

"So cool!"

Kachidoki growled as he heard that.

"Yuya, watch out!" Futoshi warned.

Yuya was confused, then screamed as he saw himself heading for bamboo, running through it... and then coming out with some leaves in his mouth. A few people began laughing over how random it was.

"That may have not been planned, but the crowd sure loved it." Yuzu giggled.

Yuto continued watching, feeling somewhat nostalgic as the memories of when his people could do the same began to resurface.

"I end my turn!" Yuya stated.

Kachidoki reached for his next card.

"My turn, draw!" He shouted.

**Turn 2: Kachidoki (6 Cards)**

He looked at what he drew, then held his arm out.

"Since you control a Monster and I don't, the effect of my Hayate the Earth Soaring Star lets me summon it without a release!" He revealed.

A man wearing a wolf pelt that covered his head appeared, spinning a staff as he did.

**(Level 5, ATK: 2100 | DEF: 0)**

"Battle! Hayate attacks Entermate Silver Claw!" Kachidoki ordered.

Yuya kept riding Silver Claw until he got into the forest, but then jumped off his Monster, an action that surprised Kachidoki as his Monster moved into the path of an Action Card that he should have clearly seen.

"If you aren't going to grab that action Card, then I will!" Kachidoki shouted.

He rushed into the forest and grabbed it, right as Hayate's staff struck Silver Claw, making the canine howl before it burst apart... yet Yuya didn't lose any Life Points.

"Why didn't you take any damage!?" He questioned.

"You might want to see what Action Card you grabbed." Yuya replied, pointing at it.

As Yuya sent Silver Claw to his Extra Deck, he saw Kachidoki check his card.

His eyes widen as he saw he had grabbed not an Action Spell, but the Action Trap - Cancelled Charges.

_**Action Trap - Cancelled Charges** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**You cannot deal damage to your opponent's Life Points until their next Draw Phase.** _

"How unfortunate! Kachidoki grabbed an Action Trap, and one that's left him unable to damage Yuya's life points!" Nico announced.

Kachidoki growled, but held it in.

"I end my turn..." He said with some regret.

Everyone began cheering for Yuya.

"Wow! How lucky was it that he grabbed an Action Trap?" Ayu smiled.

"Actually, it was the effect that was lucky, not the Trap itself." Shuzo replied.

"Huh?" Ayu blinked.

"Bamboo Forest of the Immortals is an Action Field that's mostly filled with Action Traps, with the few Action Spells it actually has being hard to find. Since Yuya decided to not go for any Action Cards, that means Kachidoki's main advantage of reaching them is now almost non-existent." Yuzu explained.

"Meaning Kachidoki either has to stop grabbing Action Cards, or keep hindering himself with Action Traps as he tries to get an Action Spell!" Tatsuya realized, smiling as he did.

Yuya reached for his next card.

"My turn, draw!" He shouted.

**Turn 3: Yuya (5 Cards)**

Yuya looked to see he the card he drew was Trump Witch, making him smile.

"Here goes! I set the Pendulum Scale using my Entermate Trump Witch and my Chronomancy Magician!" He announced.

The pillars of light formed as they rose into the air, forming a 4 and 8 underneath them.

**Pendulum Scale: 4-8**

Kachidoki showed no fear over this, even as he saw the giant version of his pendulum necklace appear overhead and start to move.

_"Swing, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether!"_ Yuya chanted, the pendulum gate slowly being etched.

**"PENDULUM SUMMON!"**

A familiar red portal formed in the center of the Pendulum artwork.

"Come forth, my faithful Monster!" Yuya shouted.

A single light shot out, revealing the majestic form of Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, who's eyes flashed before letting out its signature roar.

_**Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon *** _   
_**(DARK)** _

_**Level 7 - Pendulum** _   
_**Dragon** _   
_**ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000 | Scale: 4** _

_**Pendulum Effect:** _   
_**Once per turn, you can reduce the battle damage you take from an attack involving a Pendulum Monster you control to 0.** _

_**Monster Effect:** _   
_**During your Main Phase, you can target one Pendulum Monster on your side field. This card gains half of that Monster's ATK until the end of your turn. If this card battles an opponent's Monster, double the battle damage your opponent takes.** _

"There it is! Yuya's signature Monster!" Nico announced.

Yuya rose his hand up.

" _The fun has just begun!_ " He announced.

The crowd went wild after hearing that.

"This is a duel! It's not meant to be fun!" Kachidoki stated, glaring at Yuya.

"Feel free to think that, but this is how I duel!" Yuya replied with a smile.

Kachidoki growled in response.

"Now, I'll summon my Entermate Cameldown in Attack mode!" Yuya continued.

A circus themed camel rose from the ground, somehow not noticing where it was.

**(Level 4, ATK: 800 | DEF: 1800)**

"Battle! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack his Hayate!" Yuya ordered.

Odd-Eyes roared as it charged through the bamboo forest, easily knocking it aside to reach Hayate in only a few seconds.

"I activate Hayate's effect! Because it's the only Monster on my field, it can negate one attack this turn!" Kachidoki countered.

Hayate threw his staff forward, releasing a blue flame that sent Odd-Eyes sliding back.

"Then I'll activate Trump Witch's Pendulum effect! This allows me to use Monsters on my field for a Fusion Summon!" Yuya replied.

Kachidoki's eyes widened.

Trump Witch shot out poker symbols from her wand, causing a fusion portal to appear as Odd-Eyes ran towards it. Cameldown soon widened its eyes, joining Odd-Eyes as it jumped into the portal, right as the Pendulum gate's design appeared.

_"Prideful beast, become one with this Dichromatic Dragon, then give it your fangs and claws to create a new power!"_ Yuya chanted before swinging his hands down.

**"FUSION SUMMON!"**

Both Monsters were swallowed into the swirl before a beastly version of Odd-Eyes jumped out of it.

"Come, Dragon of the feral eyes! Level 8, Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Yuya announced.

_**Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon *** _   
_**(DARK)** _

_**Level 8 - Fusion/Pendulum** _   
_**Dragon** _   
_**ATK: 3000 | DEF: 2500 | Scale: 6** _

_**(1 "Pendulum Dragon" monster + 1 "Beast-type" Monster)** _

_**Pendulum Effect:** _   
_**Once per turn, if a Beast-type Pendulum Monster destroys an opponent's DEF position Monster through battle: deal the difference to your opponent as battle damage.** _

_**Monster Effect:** _   
_**If this card destroys an opponent's Monster in battle: inflict damage equal to the original ATK of the Beast-type Monster used as this card's Fusion material.** _

Everyone began cheering.

"There it is! One of Yuya's Pendulum Fusion monsters!" Nico announced.

Yuya placed both his Monsters into his Extra Deck.

After doing that, a gleam of light shined from the half of his goggles with the star marking, making Kachidoki's eyes widen.

"I see... we were fated to duel each other." He stated, getting angrier.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Yuya asked, understandably confused.

Kachidoki made his earlier challenging motion again.

"Uh... Battle! Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack his Hayate!" Yuya ordered.

Beast-Eyes roared as it charged towards Hayate like his prior form had. In response, Kachidoki ran off, causing Hayate to follow him.

'Looks like he's hoping to find an Action Spell.' Yuya realized.

The duel between Sora and Shun made it clear to him that a Monster could dodge for a long period of time, so it was now a contest to see if Beast-Eyes could attack him before he found a card.

And if he did... luck would decide from there, depending on what he found.

"Come on Beast-Eyes, make it..." Yuzu begged.

The good news was Beast-Eyes was incredibly fast, and quickly caught up to them, right as Kachidoki found an Action Card.

Everyone watched as he grabbed it, and... he smirked.

"I play the Action Spell - Evasion!" He revealed.

"No way!" Yuya exclaimed.

"He lucked out at the worst possible time!" Shuzo shouted.

Hayate simply leaned to the side as Beast-Eyes charged past him, causing the Dragon to trip.

"Are you done with your fun, care-free Dueling now!?" Kachidoki demanded, scowling at Yuya.

Yuya wisely didn't reply to that.

"Finish your turn already!" He demanded.

Yuya checked his hand, not seeing anything that could help him out.

"I end my turn, but just know? You'll definitely have fun by the end of this duel." He replied.

Kachidoki glared at Yuya.

"My turn, draw!" He roared, drawing his card.

**Turn 4: Kachidoki (5 Cards)**

He saw what he drew and then slammed it onto his Duel Disk.

"Since I control an EARTH-attribute Monster, I can summon my Tenma the Sky Rising Star without a release!" He shouted.

A man with a horse pelt appeared on the field, wielding a sword in hand.

**(Level 5, ATK: 2100 | DEF: 0)**

"And now, I shall fight your Fusion Monster with my own!" He declared, flipping his Fusion Spell into view.

"What!?" Yuya said in surprise.

The crowd gasped at that revelation.

_"Oh stars racing through the heavens, soaring above the earth. Become one and shine as the star of the eternal conqueror!"_ Kachidoki chanted before swinging his hands down.

**"FUSION SUMMON!"**

The swirl absorbed both his Monsters.

"Come! Level 10, Idaten the Conqueror Victory Star!" He announced.

Blue and yellow lights shot out before smashing together, transforming into a warlord wearing black armor.

**(Level 10, ATK: 3000 | DEF: 2200)**

"I don't believe it! I've heard rumors that Fusion was being taught at Ryozanpaku, but even I wasn't sure if they were true or not until just now!" Nico shouted in disbelief.

Yuya sweated a little, knowing that he wouldn't summon a Monster of equal strength unless he had a plan.

"If these Monsters have the same attack, then either its effect will keep it safe... or Kachidoki's got something in his hand to turn the tides." Gongenzaka realized.

"But what kind of effect could take down Beast-Eyes?" Futoshi asked.

Gongenzaka didn't have an answer, and it was after Futoshi asked his question that Kachidoki kicked his foot out.

"Battle! Idaten attacks Beast-Eyes!" He ordered.

Idaten released a powerful aura, and Beast-Eyes suddenly fell to its knees.

**(Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon | ATK: 0)**

"What just happened!?" Yuya questioned.

"When Idaten battles a Monster that has a Level lower than its own, that Monster loses all of its ATK points!" Kachidoki revealed.

Yuya's eyes widened at that.

"That means Yuya will take 3000 points of damage!" Yuzu shouted.

Kachidoki then slammed a Spell card onto his Duel Disk.

"I play the Spell card, Dark Conquest! When Idaten's effect activates, it deals you damage based on the combined Levels of every Monster on both of fields!" He continued.

"Say what!?" Yuya exclaimed.

_**Dark Conquest (Quick-Play Spell)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**If an Idaten the Conqueror Victory Star you control activates its effect, count the total Level of every Monster on both fields, and add 100 damage to your opponent during the damage step for every two Levels among the combined total.** _

"Since the total Level of our two Monsters is 18? When my attack connects, you'll receive an additional 900 points of damage!" Kachidoki revealed.

Yuya's eyes widened before he covered his face with his arms.

Beast-Eyes was cut apart by Idaten, and Yuya was flung across the Action Field as it turned dark from the activation of Dark Conquest's effect.

**Yuya Sakaki - 100 LP**

Everyone looked in horror as Yuya struggled to get up.

"Nothing you can do will overcome Idaten's wall. All that's left is for you to lose, and fall into the darkness!" Kachidoki stated.

The You Show group looked worried, knowing that all of Yuya's current Monsters peaked at Level 8.

"That Monster's effect would be useless if Yuya could summon his Xyz Monster, but does he even have the right cards to bring it out?" Yuto realized, wondering if Yuya could make a comeback.

'I can't rely on any Action Cards, and even if I did grab one, there's a chance it might be an Action Trap. I'm not sure what to do! How can I win in this situation!?' He questioned.

"Yuya... please, don't give up." Yuzu begged.

At that moment? Her bracelet began to glow, which somehow went unnoticed by the crowd.

**_"Yuya!"_ **

At that moment, Yuya's eyes widened.

* * *

Before Yuya could realize what was happening, he found himself in a white space, with Odd-Eyes Dragon standing before him, but in a state where he was nothing but red energy.

"Finally, it seems my voice has reached you." Odd-Eyes suddenly said.

"Odd-Eyes, you... you _can_ talk! But how!?" Yuya questioned in shock.

Odd-Eyes didn't answer his question, though the look in its eyes quickly made Yuya realize why he was likely in this place to begin with.

"Tell me, what can I do? Because... it seems like nothing I can do will lead me to winning this duel." He asked.

Odd-Eyes shook its head.

"Believe in your deck." His Dragon answered.

"Huh?" Yuya blinked.

"As long as you have Life Points... as long as you have a card to draw... you still have a chance. Draw your next card, and hopefully, your deck will answer." Odd-Eyes continued.

At that moment, Yuya's eyes widened as he felt something.

* * *

_Odd-Eyes Pendulum was seen in its original form as Odd-Eyes Dragon, only with golden scales covering both its clearly red eyes. It was facing an unknown Monster, wielded by a Duelist Yuya couldn't see._

_"I activate the Spell card-" A female voice shouted._

_Without any warning, a powerful blow shot at Odd-Eyes Dragon, smashing the scales over its left eye, which turned teal from the effect of the attack that struck it. Shortly after, Odd-Eyes Dragon was sent flying._

* * *

At that moment, Yuya gasped as he felt himself return to reality.

"I end my turn." Kachidoki stated.

With those words, Yuya realized whatever happened, only an instance had passed in the flow of time he was familiar with.

'Whoa, that was...' He thought.

" _Trust in your deck._ " Odd-Eyes repeated from its card, only to be heard by Yuya.

Looking at his Extra Deck, he closed his eyes before smiling.

"That's right... this Duel's not over yet!" Yuya shouted.

His eyes opened, causing Kachidoki's to widen as he saw Yuya's pupils glowing red, shocking the audience as it appeared on the feed.

"Oh dear, I think that last play effected the balance of red in our cameras! Will someone call the tech staff?" Nico said, confused by what he saw.

"That's-!" Yuto stated, recognizing it.

"Yuya!?" Yuzu said, just as shocked.

As that was happening, Gongenzaka turned and noticed the faint pink glow being emitted by the Yuzu's bracelet.

"Yuzu, your bracelet's glowing!" He shouted.

Yuzu's eyes widened as she saw it, with the You Show group gasping at the sight.

"Hey, what's going on here!?" Shuzo asked, holding his head in confusion.

Yuya reached for his next card.

"My turn... _draw!_ " Yuya exclaimed.

**Turn 5: Yuya (3 Cards)**

Once he saw the card that would be his last chance, Yuya flashed a small smile.

'He's smiling!?' Kachidoki thought, starting to sweat.

Yuya raised a hand into the air, causing the Pendulum to reappear.

_"Swing, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether!"_ Yuya chanted as it recreated the Pendulum gate.

**"PENDULUM SUMMON!"**

The red portal glowed as it reappeared.

"Return, my faithful Monster!" Yuya shouted.

A single light shot out, revealing the flashing eyes of Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as it made its return.

**(Level 7, ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000)**

"No matter how many times you bring your Monsters back, they won't be able to overcome Idaten's effect!" Kachidoki replied.

"Which is why I'm not going to attack Idaten!" Yuya replied, still smiling.

At that moment, Yuya placed the card he drew onto the field, revealing what it was to the audience. Once the card in question was revealed, most of the You Show group let out a loud gasp.

"Because I'll be attacking you with the help of this Spell card, Improvised Act!" He revealed.

_**Improvised Act (Normal Spell)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**If your Life Points are below 1000 and your opponent has at least one Monster on their field; when you attack that Monster, draw 3 cards. If you draw 3 Entermate Monsters, you can attack your opponent directly. If you draw a Spell, Trap, or a non-Entermate Monster, then your attack is negated, and you take damage based on the difference between each Monster's current ATK.** _

Being the one member among them who was unfamiliar with this card, a confused Tatsuya looked at the rest of his schoolmates for an answer.

"What card is that?" Tatsuya asked.

"One of the riskiest cards in Yuya's deck. It can let Odd-Eyes bypass Idaten and wage a direct attack, but it depends on the next three cards he draws." Shuzo answered.

"How risky exactly?" He inquired, sounding a little nervous.

"Risky enough that he can only use it when he has less than a 1000 life points and plans to attack, but if he draws anything other than Entermate Monster? He'll take damage based on the different between his Monster and the one he's targeting, and since he has only 100 life points left..." Yuzu continued.

The implication told Tatsuya enough, as he let out a gasp before looking back at Yuya.

**[Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V: Yuya's Theme]**

At that same moment, Yuya raised his hands into the air.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen!_ "

Hearing that line, everyone turned their full focus onto Yuya, realizing he was about to pull off something big.

"It seems that I've been forced to improvise an act, and now I'll have to draw three cards that will decide if this show will be a success or a flop! So, let me explain how this new act will work!" He continued.

Snapping his fingers, three balloons appeared in the pathway between Odd-Eyes and Idaten.

"By declaring an attack on Idaten, I can now draw three cards from my deck, and if that card is an Entermate Monster? It can inflate one of the balloons to create a path that will change my target to Kachidoki himself!" Yuya revealed.

'He's trying to hit me with a direct attack!' Kachidoki realized.

"However, if I draw anything else? The balloon won't inflate, causing Odd-Eyes to tumble into Idaten, and dealing me the difference between their attack as damage. Such a tumble will deal me 500 points of damage and cost me the duel." He continued.

He jumped onto Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, who let out a roar.

"Battle! My Odd-Eyes attacks Idaten, and then uses the effect of Improvised Act to try and go for a direct attack against you!" Yuya shouted.

With that, Odd-Eyes began charging towards Idaten.

"And Yuya's going for an all or nothing attack that will truly make the difference between victory and defeat! Can he pull this off?" Nico questioned.

Yuya then reached for his first card.

"Everyone, will you do the honors?" Yuya requested.

"First draw!" The crowd shouted.

He pulled it out, and then flipped it over to reveal...

"Entermate Turn Toad!" Yuya cheered.

Turn Toad appeared next to the first balloon, inflating it before tossing the balloon into the air for Odd-Eyes to jump on, which popped and propelled the Dragon towards the next balloon. As they began to descend, Yuya reached for his second card.

"Second draw!" The crowd repeated.

Once again, Yuya flipped the card, revealing it as...

"Entermate Drumming Kong!" Yuya cheered.

Drumming Kong appeared next to the second balloon, inflating it before throwing it into the air. Once it had, Turn Toad jump off its shoulders, then used its feet to bounce the balloon even higher, once again causing Odd-Eyes to land on it and be propelled higher as it popped.

Kachidoki stared at this sight with horror, realizing that a single card would be the difference between if him or Yuya won this duel.

"I need to find an Action Card!" He shouted.

He rushed to find one, and that's when Yuya reached for his deck one last time.

"Last draw!" The crowd said once more.

Kachidoki still couldn't find an Action Card, and then... Yuya smiled as he revealed what he drew.

"Entermate Hammer Mammo!" Yuya cheered.

The crowd cheered as Hammer Mammo next to the last balloon, inflating it and then throwing it into the air. Once it had? Hammer Mammo grabbed Drumming Kong with its trunk, and threw the Gorilla to the balloon, allowing it to punch the balloon higher.

As Drumming Kong began to fall, Hammer Mammo tossed Turn Toad into the air, letting the audience watch as began to do somersaults.

Turn Toad caught itself on Drumming Kong's feet, and then... was kicked towards the balloon! With this boost, Turn Toad hopped onto the balloon, and sent it high enough for Odd-Eyes to reach.

"Oh no!" Kachidoki screamed, running even faster.

Instead of another pop and bounce? This balloon propelled Odd-Eyes before falling to the ground, releasing smoke and confetti that blinded Idaten, leaving him confused as Odd-Eyes formed his wings.

"Alright everyone, let's call the final curtain together!" Yuya announced.

"Battle! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, direct attack!" Everyone shouted.

**"Spiral Strike Burst!"**

Odd-Eyes unleashed its red blast towards Kachidoki, who realized he wouldn't reach the Action Card in time.

"And now, for the grand finale? When Odd-Eyes attacks... you take double the battle damage!" Yuya revealed.

**"Reaction Force!"**

The blast doubled in size, continuing its path towards Kachidoki.

**[Insert Song End]**

The attack was a direct hit, sending him flying into the nearest bamboo grove.

**Isao Kachidoki - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Yuya Sakaki**

Odd-Eyes and Yuya soon landed on the ground, with the latter taking a moment to catch his breath as his eyes stopped glowing. Once the shock finally passed, everyone began to cheer for Yuya.

Well... everyone aside from a certain school's group, though no one was surprised they chose to react as they did.

Silence, with a hint of disappointment and anger from their principal. Kachidoki looked up as the Action Field disappeared, and his heart sank as he and the rest of his classmates simply walked away.

"Why are they leaving the stands?" Ayu asked as she saw this.

"I'm not sure, but if I had to take a guess... with how much they value winning, this could be their way of saying that Kachidoki has just been expelled." Shuzo guessed.

"They'd expel him just for losing one duel!?" Tatsuya shouted in disbelief.

"Considering the rumors... it might just be true. After all, if they're already starting to sink, then everyone who loses would be considered dead weight to them." Gongenzaka replied with disgust in his voice.

Seeing what was going on, Yuya decided to walk up to Kachidoki, offering a hand to him.

*"SMACK!"*

Yuya showed surprise as Kachidoki slapped away his hand.

"I promise you, Yuya... I promise that one day, my darkness swallow you whole!" He declared, glaring at him.

With that, he stormed out of the stadium, leaving everyone silent from not his reaction... but his expression.

'Darkness... why does he keep saying that?' Yuya thought.

Yuto said nothing, having a good idea why Kachidoki reacted and spoke the way he did, before leaving the arena.

* * *

Hokuto was seen in an alley way as Starve Venom Fusion Dragon stared him down, the shadows making his purple color all the more terrifying that it normally was.

"I can... I can still..." He said, slightly afraid.

"Wrong, because I activate the effect of my Predator Plant - Skid Drosera! By discarding it to the Graveyard, my Starve Venom can now attack every Monster that has a Predator Counter on it." Yuri replied.

Hokuto's eyes widened, right as Starve Venom leaped into the air and began flapping its wings, giving it the perfect angle to inhale and then release a familiar purple cloud of acid at Hokuto's Monsters.

**"Toxic Terror!"**

Each of Hokuto's Monster was blasted, causing the Xyz Duelist to be flung into the wall, smashing into it with enough force that he was immediately knocked out.

**Hokuto Shijima - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Yuri**

After a few seconds passed, he fell onto the ground.

"Sorry, but we'll be taking this for ourselves." Serena smirked, grabbing his Duel Disk.

She removed his ID card for the Maiami Championship, waving it in front of Yuri and Barrett's eyes.

"Now there's nothing keeping us from getting inside." She stated.

"Hopefully, that's when things will get more interesting." Yuri remarked.

Serena's fist slammed his face after he said that.

"We're on a mission, not a field trip where we can freely duel whoever we'd like." She reminded him.

"Why must you always sour the mood?" Yuri question.

"Gee, I don't know? Why must you treat almost everything like a big joke?" Serena questioned back, glaring at him.

Barrett sighed, knowing this would be a long day.

* * *

Inside a private monitoring room owned by LDS, the sight of Reiji, Reira, his assistant Nakajima, and Shun could all be seen as they watched over what happened to Yuya during his last turn.

"I'm not sure what happened, but I'm certain this had nothing to do with Pendulum power." Reiji stated.

"But what could it be?" Nakajima questioned.

Both of them soon heard Shun letting out a surprised grunt, noticing a look of surprise on his face as he stared at the still image of Yuya's pupils glowing red. Reiji was about to ask about his reaction, until...

"I've seen this before, only with Yuto." He suddenly revealed.

That caught Reiji's interest.

"Mind explaining?" Reiji requested.

"Honestly? I'm not completely sure what happened, but... it was after Ruri was kidnapped. I went to let him know, which was when he was Dueling against a member of Duel Academy, and that's when it happened. He did a Rank-Up with Dark Rebellion, which is when I noticed his pupils glowing, only his were glowing a blue color." Shun explained.

Reiji put a finger to his chin as he tried connecting the dots.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" He inquired, feeling there was more.

"Well, I'm not sure if this really matters, but... ever since that event? He's somehow been able to talk with his Dragon, or at least that's what he claims." Shun mentioned.

That caught his attention.

'Talking to his Dragon? Hold on, if I remember right, wasn't that-' He recalled.

"Attention, everyone! We have an urgent announcement!" Nico shouted in a panic.

This caused everyone to look at the screen.

"I'm afraid to announce that the third match will be skipped! For some reason, Hokuto Shijima didn't show up for his match, so Michio Mokota wins by default!" He revealed.

Hearing that caused Reiji to immediately notice a red flag.

"Something's happened to him, hasn't it?" He realized.

"Sir!" A staff member shouted.

Reiji looked at him.

"Is what you're about to tell me likely to be related to Hokuto's absence?" He inquired.

"More like guaranteed! It was somewhat delayed, but we caught an incredibly high reading of Fusion energy in the city. One that exceeded all of the Fusion Summons made by Sora Shiunin!" A staff member revealed.

"Is there any camera feed?" Reiji inquired once again.

"Yes, we're bringing it up now!" The staff member confirmed.

Reiji looked at the screen, showing Starve Venom as the Dragon's attack slammed Hokuto in the wall, followed by Serena stealing his ID card.

"Ruri!?" Shun gasped.

"No, that isn't her." Reiji replied.

Before Shun could ask, he saw her turn around, showing her sinister expression and her outfit's resemblance to the female Duel Academy uniform.

"They have the same face... just like with Ruri." He realized.

"That's not the only thing you should be concerned with. Take a look at who was Dueling Hokuto." Reiji mentioned.

Shun raised an eye, right as the feed revealed Yuri's face and the sword-like Duel Disk used by Duel Academy, making his eyes widen.

"It's the Pawn of Fusion! I knew he was the one who Dueled Yuto after Sora disappeared!" Shun realized.

"That isn't possible. You said he came from the Synchro Dimension, didn't you? So how could he use a Fusion Summon?" Reiji questioned.

"What do you mean?" Shun questioned, glancing at Reiji.

"Quite simple. Unless that Pawn came from this dimension, there's no way he could use both Fusion and Synchro Monsters. I'm also more than certain that this Duelist is the actual kidnapper of your sister." He answered.

Shun's eyes widened.

"What? But how can that-" He asked, feeling confused.

"Think about it. If Duel Academy is your enemy, then wouldn't it make more sense for the kidnapper to be using a Fusion Monster, rather than a Synchro Monster?" Reiji suggested.

Shun went silent at that.

'Have really been after the wrong guy? But, if that's true, then... why do so many people look like Yuto and my sister?' Shun asked himself, unable to understand it.

Reiji stared at the screen, planning his next move.

* * *

In the arena's second stadium, the fourth duel of the day had begun.

"It's time to introduce our two Duelists!" Nico announced.

He stepped back slightly, motioning to the right-side of the screen as an image of Yuzu and the insignia for You Show appeared.

"Yuzu Hiragi of You Show..." He revealed.

He then motioned to the left of the screen, showing a girl with blonde hair styled like a Butterfly's with her school's insignia.

"And Mikiyo Naname of the Duel Girls Club!" He continued.

Yuzu walked onto the field shortly after, waving to her fellow You Show students as she did.

"Go get her Yuzu!" Ayu cheered.

"Give her the shivers!" Futoshi shouted.

"You can do it!" Tatsuya cheered.

Yuzu looked at Yuya, who she noticed wasn't cheering, making her feel a little sad.

'Is how Kachidoki reacted is still bothering him, or is it-' She wondered, trying to understand.

"MIKIYO!"

Yuzu turned as her large fan squad began cheering, signaling the way for her grand entrance as theme music began playing.

Mikiyo soon appeared as a burst of smoke briefly masked her entrance, and once everyone could see her...

"Here I go!" She said, giving off a wink.

All of her fans let out a loud wave of cheers.

"All of our fans, thank you for coming! I'll make sure to Special Summon your hearts today!" She thanked, skating into the arena before pointing her finger at the crowd and then lifting it into the air.

"Amazing..." Yuzu remarked, seeing how easily the crowd entered an uproar.

Looking around, she took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks to focus.

"Still, I'm one of the two poster students for You Show, so I have to give it my all, just like Yuya did in his match." She reminded herself.

She held up a fist.

"Get ready to see my Entertainment Dueling!" Yuzu declared.

* * *

**Plenty happened in this chapter. Rin's finally awake and had a proper reunion with Yugo, and both of them have started to notice what Yuya and Yuzu have, though not as much since they don't know all of the details. Yuya's also managed to hear the voice of Odd-Eyes, and in doing so, entered the strange state he saw Yuto and Yugo enter in their duel. However, the actual nature of this state is still a mystery, especially since Yuya stayed in control the whole time.**

**As you likely noticed, I gave Yuzu her own version of Yuya's Pendulum necklace. For more info about why, you'll need to read the prequel. All I'll say here is that she got it as a gift from Yusho long ago, shortly before he disappeared to try and stop Leo's plan. Likewise, neither Yuto nor Shun are aware of who Leo is right now, since it feels like an interesting twist to have them find out later.**

**For the duel with Kachidoki? I changed how it ended, and how Ryozanpaku Duel School is seen by people, because I feel it makes his eventual rematch with Yuya not only have more weight, but a stronger reasoning behind his anger. He's essentially the hope of his school, so his loss is basically a big disgrace for him as a whole. That's why I chose not to show his flashback of having seen Yuya when he was younger, since I feel it's better to show during said rematch.**

**Now, the next thing I should talk about is how Beast-Eyes is now a Pendulum/Fusion, and the reason for it... is something I can't reveal just yet. Let's just say that what Reiji told Shun after seeing the video feed of Yuri and Serena is a hint towards it. This isn't exclusive to Beast-Eyes either, as any Extra Deck Monsters that Yuya and Yuzu get will be Pendulum Monsters for the same reason.**

**One last thing I'll say before ending this chapter? A lot of my changes may not make sense right now, but I assure you that once we reach the Battle Royale, then everything will start coming together as you see the direction I'm going in. One could even say that right now, I'm planning to Pendulum Summon, and I just need to finish setting up my field before I set the Pendulum Scale to do so. *giggles* Wordplay aside? I hope you'll all enjoy the coming twists.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are with Chapter 4, and before I officially begin today's start notes? I'd like to announce that this story is now the main entry of what I'll be calling the "Four Worlds" trilogy. This new story is called "Before the Four Worlds", which is a short story like "Bonds of Four Worlds", and covers events that occur before the events that happen during Episodes 36 and Episode 37.**

**Specifically, it covers the period between Episodes 7 through 35, and explains part of the reason behind why all the Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters that are in Yuya and Yuzu's possession are also Pendulum Monsters to help explain the rest of the reasons listed here in the main story. It also helps serve as a way to help develop the Yuya/Yuzu pairing, especially for a few scenes in this one, which is the main reason I don't have everything in just one story.**

**Also, there have been a few edits I've made to the previous chapters since this one, as I changed my mind on a few ideas while fixing an error I found in the duel between Yuri and Ruri, mostly because we're early enough into the story for it. These changes are mainly that Dark Rebellion is now a Rank 7 to match its fellow Dragons all being Level 7, and Serena's Leo Dancer is now wearing a mask for a reason I can't say here.**

**Another thing is that Serena now punches Yuri instead of pulling his ear, as I recall she did that enough times to Yugo for it to be as reflexive as Yuzu's use of her fan. This might seem odd... except in this story, Serena punching him at all is considered a red flag, as unlike canon? I've decided that, aside from when Rin kicked Yugo in Ch 3 (which was only because she mistook him for Yuri), the girls do _not_ hit their respective counterpart of Yuya for any reason.**

**The reason I say this is because as this Chapter's name implies? One of the scenes will reveal a little bit about why Yuri seemed to show any fear of losing unlike his canon self, which is a fear Serena also has, though couldn't show against Rin due to how it was more one-sided in Serena's favor. In a way? Let's just say that Serena may also appear OOC to some... and its intentional.**

**Now, let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 4 - Fusion Threat]**

As the current duels for all three leagues were going on, the scene opened to part of the hallway, where a woman with pink hair was seen as she headed to the stadium where Yuzu and Mikiyo were dueling.

This woman had a strong resemblance to Yuzu, having long pink hair that was the same shade as Yuzu's bangs, which reached to her chest.

Her attire consisted of a dress like to the one Ruri used to wear, only fancier and with longer sleeves, while being blue/light blue in color. The one thing that was the same were her heels, which were identical.

"I may have missed my daughter's first duel, but I'm not missing this one." She smiled.

This woman was Rinko Hiragi, the wife of Shuzo and Yuzu's mother.

She was often out of the country, due to having a job as a freelance photographer, so Shuzo could pay for both You Show and their home's bills. Fortunately, the recent influx of people who became You Show students allowed her most recent trip to be her last and finally stay home full time.

However, as she walked through the hall? She saw Serena walking alongside Yuri and Barrett, and due to their shared faces, mistook them for Yuya and her daughter.

"Huh? Yuzu, what are you doing here? It says your duel's still-" Rinko questioned.

At that moment, Serena turned her head towards her Pendulum counterpart's mother, causing Rinko to freeze up as she saw her face. Specifically, how Serena's face had a sinister expression Yuzu would never make.

"Sorry, I thought you were my daughter. Excuse me." Rinko apologized, preparing to walk away from the trio.

"So, you're Yuzu Hiragi's mother? That's perfect." Serena smirked.

Rinko froze at those words, and immediately tried to run away, only for Yuri to grab onto her wrist and hold her in place. Looking at his face and comparing it to Yuya making a terrifying expression he'd never make, filling hers with terror.

"I'd advise against running away. If you do, then we can't be held responsible for whatever happens to you." He warned.

Suddenly, a familiar red scarf whipped out and slapped his hand, making Yuri scream. Serena and Barrett turned around as Rinko took a few steps back, only to black out as Tsukikage appeared behind her and chopped her neck.

"Who was that? Where are you!? Show yourself!" Serena demanded, readying her Duel Disk.

At that moment, Reiji reeled his scarf back and walked into view, causing Barrett's eyes to widen.

"Tsukikage, take her to the entrance of the Second Stadium and make sure she wakes up in a position that makes her think she blanked out. We can't let her talk about this and cause a panic." Reiji requested.

"Understood." Tsukikage replied, nodding his head.

He left with Rinko, causing the Fusion duo to scowl.

"It seems that you must be one of the few people in the Pendulum Dimension that knows who we are. Well, then I'm afraid you'll have to be-" Yuri realized, readying his Duel Disk.

"Stand down, now!" Barrett ordered.

Both of them turned around as Barrett brought out his Duel Disk, surprising them.

"He's the Duelist I warned you about." He revealed.

This caught Yuri and Serena's attention, causing both of them to raise an eye as they looked at Reiji, noticing he was only slightly older than he was.

A Duelist of his age didn't seem like the threat Barrett claimed he was.

"Him? What exactly makes this kid such a threat?" Serena questioned.

"Because this _kid_ is the Professor's son." Barret revealed, having expected their skepticism.

This caused Yuri and Serena to gasp, recalling the Professor's family was in this Dimension.

"Of course, the Professor lived here before he came to the Fusion Dimension, so his family had plenty of time to learn his dueling skills." Yuri realized.

Realizing they needed to escape, the Fusion duo pulled a specific Spell card from their decks. Yuri's was Violet Flash, while Serena's was Lunar Eclipse.

"Sorry, but you'll have to excuse us." Yuri smirked.

"We have a mission to complete." Serena smirked.

A purple flash of light and a shadowy black mist appeared where they once stood, leaving Reiji and Barrett by themselves. The former prepared to duel... until the latter put his Duel Disk down, surprising Reiji somewhat.

"Good, they've both left. Now you and I can talk without them eavesdropping." Barrett said.

"Are you saying that you're following your own agenda?" Reiji asked, keeping his guard up.

"I understand you have no reason to believe my words, but... despite I was indeed loyal to the Professor once, I can no longer follow him. Not after what he did to those two." Barrett replied, closing his one eye in shame.

Realizing there was something fishy swimming around, Reiji held his Duel Disk back up.

"If you wish to talk, then duel with me. It would be bad if those two came back and realize you have another motive for dueling me." He said as he adjusted his glasses.

Barrett looked at him in surprise.

"No, I still don't trust you, but if you are telling me the truth... then prove it to me while we duel." Reiji clarified, answering Barrett's question before he even asked it.

"Very well." Barrett agreed.

He held his Duel Disk back up, and then drew his initial hand alongside Reiji.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

As their duel began, a guard standing by the entrance to the Second Stadium was watching it, only to jump and let out a small scream as Tsukikage appeared out of nowhere. Once he started to breathe and calm down, he noticed Rinko in his arms.

"Warriors from the Fusion Dimension tried to kidnap her. She should wake up any moment now, so act like you've been calling her and make her believe she was lost in thought." He requested.

"R-Right." The guard replied, nodding in understanding.

Tsukikage moved Rinko's body to stand on her feet, right as her eyes shook to signal she was waking up. Tsukikage quickly disappeared from the scene, and the guard began calling out to her.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?" The guard asked.

"H-Huh!?" Rinko exclaimed, shaking her head.

She saw she had made it to the Second Stadium's entrance, then rubbed her eyes as she tried to verify that fact.

"When did I get here?" She asked.

"Miss, I think you may have been lost in thought, because you've been here for about 3 minutes already." The guard explained.

"Really? Guess the jet lag from my flight hasn't worn off yet." Rinko realized, blushing in embarrassment.

She soon entered the stadium, and began looking for where her husband and the You Show group were seated.

* * *

Yuzu screamed as she was hit by a direct attack from Mikiyo's signature card, Wingweaver, and tumbled onto her stomach. This caused the You Show group to gasp in horror, especially Yuya.

**Mikiyo Naname - 3200 LP**  
**Yuzu Hiragi - 100 LP**

All of her fans watched with worry, while Mikiyo's massive fanbase let out cheers that drowned the stadium.

"And with that, I'll end my turn." Mikiyo said, winking for her fans.

"Uh oh! I hate to say it, but unless Yuzu's next card is a game changer? It looks like this duel is all but over for her!" Nico announced.

All of the You Show students gasped in horror as they saw Yuzu on her last leg.

However, Shuzo had a different reaction, noticing her plays felt didn't feel right.

"Something's not right here. It might just be my opinion since I'm her father, but it seems like Yuzu's dueling is... off today." He stated.

Yuya gasped as he heard him say that.

'Distracted? Why would she be-' He thought, wondering why she could have been thrown off her game.

However, Yuya's mind quickly answered by making him recall what Kachidoki said after their duel. That made his eyes widen as he came to a horrifying realization.

Yuzu was distracted because she was worried about him. In fact, he didn't even remember saying anything to Yuzu before the duel started.

'Of course! How could I have been so blind? We've always worried about each other when we're feeling down, so of course she'd be unable to focus when I'm feeling that way!' He realized.

After closing his eyes from the guilt he as feeling, he shook it off and stood up.

"YUZU!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Yuzu gasped as she heard Yuya's voice, turning around to look at him, seeing he looked more like his usual self again.

"Make this duel swing your way!" He continued.

Hearing those words, Yuzu felt her earlier worries about Yuya vanish, and took a deep breath.

"Thanks, Yuya." She smiled.

She stood on her feet, reaching for her next card, closing her eyes as she did. As a result, she failed to notice her bracelet and Pendulum necklace giving off a faint glow.

"My turn, draw!" Yuzu shouted.

**Turn 7: Yuzu (2 Cards)**

The card she drew was shown to be glowing pink, surprising her as she saw nothing but this pink glow surrounding it.

"Huh?" Mikiyo said in surprise.

"This is..." Yuzu said in shock.

This was just like when Yuya first used a Pendulum Summon, only instead of three existing cards changing? She seemed to have drawn a Pendulum Monster she had just created from her deck.

* * *

In one of Maiami City's alleys, the sight of Yuri and Serena could be seen as their Spell cards finished teleporting them to their current location.

"This area should be a blind spot. I think we're safe here." Serena stated.

"Good, which means there shouldn't be anything that can interrupt us from accomplishing our... current task." Yuri smirked.

Before Yuri could even see it coming, Serena punched him in the face, though this time he flew into the air before crashing.

"Never use that tone of voice again... _ever_." She warned, glaring at him.

As he groaned and rubbed the red circle on his face, Serena noticed a card in her Extra Deck was glowing, getting her attention as she noticed a faint glow from Cat Dancer.

That is... until she held it up, and that glow faded away.

"The heck was that?" She questioned as she scratched her head over the strange phenomenon.

She shrugged and put her signature card back into her deck, ignoring the sounds of car engines behind her. Unfortunately, one of those said _car engines_ was actually the sound of Yugo and Rin's Duel Runner, which just drove past them.

Rin was currently wearing her Riding Suit and helmet, which had been in their Duel Runner's compartment since the day Yuri had kidnapped her.

"So, what's the plan beyond locating Ruri?" Yugo asked.

"With how little we know about this Dimension, we'll need to try and gather information, but in a way that has little risk of us running into possible allies of Duel Academy who might recognize me. That's not going to be easy." Rin answered.

"It sounds somewhat impossible with how you just worded it." Yugo remarked, feeling his brain doing cartwheels.

"Not if we try to focus on learning any information about our Pendulum counterparts. Like Ruri, your experience with meeting yours makes it clear only Yuri and Serena are evil among the eight of us." She answered, looking around.

Both her and Yugo paused at that.

"That feels weird to say." She admitted.

"It does." Yugo agreed.

As he said that, Yugo noticed something and parked the Duel Runner, getting Rin's attention.

"What's wrong?" Rin asked.

"Look, up there!" He said, pointing to a TV screen.

Rin turned her head, and gasped as she saw a live feed of Yuzu's match, allowing her to see her Pendulum counterpart for the first time. Her bracelet was also in obvious view to remove any lingering doubts that there wasn't anything special about her own.

"Her face... and her bracelet... that's definitely her!" She said, almost breathlessly.

Yugo then noticed Rin's bracelet and Yuzu's.

"Huh, she has a bracelet just like yours. What an odd coincidence." He remarked.

"It actually isn't. I forgot to mention this, but Ruri and Serena also have similar bracelets, just like you and Yuto have similar Dragons." Rin revealed.

That caught Yugo's attention.

"Wait, seriously? Why do we all have similar Dragons and bracelets?" Yugo questioned.

Rin looked at her bracelet.

"I... don't know, but... I have a feeling Duel Academy does." She answered, truly starting to wonder what she and Ruri had been captured for.

She shook her head, trying to brush the thought aside for now.

"Anyways, I think we have a lead on where we should go. It looks like she's in some Duel Arena, and I saw a big stadium, so more than likely..." Rin continued.

"She's there?" Yugo guessed.

"No, she _and_ your Pendulum counterpart are both there, and possibly Ruri if she's seen this too." Rin corrected.

"Guess we have our destination then." He replied.

Yugo prepared to drive off, but before he could, a glow came from Rin's Extra Deck.

"Huh?" Rin blinked.

She opened her Extra Disk area, then saw her Winter Bell card was starting to glow, which in turn made her bracelet start to glow.

"Uh... is that supposed to happen?" Yugo asked, pointing at her bracelet.

"Is what supposed to-it's glowing!" Rin asked, before seeing it as well.

She began to panic.

"Hurry, find somewhere without people before anyone notices this and gets suspicious!" Rin demanded, tightly hugging him.

Yugo barely held back in a scream of joy over Rin's hug, and drove their Duel Runner at high-speed as he began flooring it.

"No, not that fast! Remember the traffic laws!" Rin screamed.

Unfortunately, Yugo's excitement over the hug made him fail to hear her. Pure luck ended up being the only reason that no one noticed them going over the speed limit.

* * *

At the same time this was happening, Ruri was shown to be... somewhere in Maiami City, looking kind of lost.

"Either this city is too complex for me, or I've gotten used to seeing rubble and a lack of colors." She sighed.

"Yugo, slow down already!" Rin screamed.

Ruri gasped as she heard Rin's voice, and turned around to see some kind of white vehicle driving by with her on it.

"Rin! It's me, over here!" Ruri shouted.

Unfortunately, the combination of the distance between them and noise being emitted from the Duel Runner left Rin unable to hear her. As she stared at what may have been her best chance to reunite with anyone she knew drive away, she fell onto her knees.

"Why? Why does it seem like everything's trying to keep me from the people I care about?" She questioned, starting to tear up.

Moments after saying that, the tears evolved into full blown crying.

Ruri thought she had overcome this side of her, but perhaps her time locked up in Duel Academy had caused it to relapse, or she was only able to find courage when with Yuto and/or Shun.

_"My turn, draw!" Yuzu shouted, drawing her card._

She stopped crying as she heard that voice, noticing it was familiar despite having heard it for the first time.

"Who said that?" Ruri wondered.

She got up and tried looking around, which caused her to walk into an area with a screen showing Yuzu as she drew her next card. The sight made her gasp.

"That's... the me of this dimension!" She realized.

Ruri turned to look at the Stadium she passed by earlier, then smiled as a thought came to her.

"Of course! To find a Duelist, you need to go to a place where people duel!" Ruri realized.

She began running towards the stadium... only to nearly stumble, feeling her body getting sluggish as her eyes struggled to stay open.

While those in the Resistance had gotten used to eating little to no food over long periods of time? Sleep deprivation was the only thing their bodies couldn't fight off, and Ruri had finally fallen victim to its effects.

"OK, new plan. I'll find somewhere to sleep, and then head to the stadium once I wake up." She decided, struggling to stay awake.

Looking around, Ruri found a public playground with a plastic climbing dome, noticing no kids were present due to the Maiami Championship's duels. Being too tired to think of it as anything beyond a resting place, she crawled inside and prepared to get some sleep.

"Lucky me..." She sighed, finally letting herself drift off.

Unfortunately, just as she was about to nod off... a glow from her Extra Deck hit her eyes, getting her attention.

"My Extra Deck?" Ruri said in surprise.

She opened up her Duel Disk to discover the glow was coming from her Assembly Nightingale.

In response, her bracelet glowed.

* * *

Once Yuzu's card finished reacting to Winter Bell and Assembly Nightingale, possibly even Cat Dancer despite it was only briefly, it stopped glowing to reveal a new Monster.

She wasn't sure why, but this card gave her the same feeling Odd-Eyes gave to Yuya.

"Get ready Mikiyo, because with the card I just drew? This duel's swinging my way, starting now!" Yuzu announced.

**[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: Yuya's Theme]**

"And there's one of the signature lines she and Yuya share!" Nico announced.

The crowd began to cheer as Yuzu motioned to the Monster in her left Pendulum Scale, which was a cute girl with pale skin, blonde hair, and a white beautiful white dress that split into four streams at the bottom.

"I activate the Pendulum Effect of Strelitzia, sending it to the Extra Deck so I can draw a card for every Melodious Monster on my field, including herself!" Yuzu declared.

_**Strelitzia the Melodious Flower** _

_**Level 4 - Pendulum** _  
_**Fairy** _  
_**ATK: 1700 | DEF: 1400 | Scale: 3** _

_**Pendulum Effect:** _  
_**You can send this card to the Extra Deck, then draw a card for every Melodious Monster on the field, including Strelitzia.** _

_**Monster Effect:** _  
_**You can discard one card in your hand to bring back a Level 4 or lower Melodious Monster from your Graveyard.** _

Strelitzia waved goodbye before she became a white bird and flew into the Extra Deck, causing two cards to float into Yuzu's hands, which she saw were a Spell card and a Pendulum Monster.

With these two cards now in her hand? Yuzu had everything she needed to win this duel.

"I set the Pendulum Scale using Chrysanthemum the Melodious Flower!" She continued.

A flowery looking Melodious Monster with a red color scheme and a short dress that resembled a qipao made an appearance, punching the air with both hands before doing a roundhouse kick.

**_Chrysanthemum the Melodious Flower  
(LIGHT)_ **

**_Level 3 - Pendulum  
Fairy_ **  
**_ATK: 1100 | DEF: 700 | Scale: 2_ **

**_Pendulum Effect:_ **  
**_Once per turn, you can halve any battle damage you receive from an attack._ **

**_Monster Effect:_ **  
**_If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, target one Monster on your opponent's field, then deal damage to your opponent equal to half of its ATK._ **

Chrysanthemum settled into the Pendulum Scale before noticing a blue version of herself with a serene expression and a dress that resembled a shrine maiden's on the opposite side, leaving the pair of twins to smile at each other.

**_Azalea the Melodious Flower  
(LIGHT)_ **

**_Level 5 - Pendulum  
Fairy_ **  
**_ATK: 1400 | DEF: 2200 | Scale: 9_ **

**_Pendulum Effect:_ **  
**_Once per turn, you can halve any effect damage you receive from a card effect._ **

**_Monster Effect:_ **  
**_If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, target one Monster on your opponent's field, then gain Life Points equal to half of its ATK._ **

" _It's showtime!_ " Yuzu announced.

With those words, the giant version of her Pendulum appeared.

 _"Swing far Pendulum! Carve the arc of victory!"_ Yuzu chanted.

**"PENDULUM SUMMON!"**

The red gate soon opened.

"My Monsters are ready... to take the stage!" Yuzu shouted.

With those words, two lights shot out of the portal.

The first Monster to appear was a small girl with pink hair and a blue dress.

 **"Opera the Melodious Diva!"** (Level 4, ATK: 2300 | DEF: 1000)

However, the second light was not like the first. When it hit the ground, it surprised everyone as it formed a pink pillar of light, showing a spinning silhouette inside of it.

"And now, time to reveal the newest Monster in my deck! My new leading singer..." She continued.

The pink pillar disappeared, revealing a Melodious Monster that looked a lot like Yuzu when she had her hair down, only much longer and slightly wavy. There was also a mark on her left cheek in the shape of a flower.

For her attire, it looked like the kind of idol's outfit you'd see on a regular Human, with a flower theme applied to its design.

"Harmonia the Melodious Floral Saint!" Yuzu announced.

Once everyone could see her, Harmonia finished her introduction by making an idol pose, causing many of the boys and men in the crowd to blush at her beauty.

**_Harmonia the Floral Melodious Saint  
(LIGHT)_ **

**_Level 7 - Pendulum  
Fairy_ **  
**_ATK: 2400 | DEF: 2000 | Scale: 4_ **

**_Pendulum Effect:_ **  
**_One per turn, if your opponent deals you effect damage, negate that damage and increase your Life Points by the same amount._ **

**_Monster Effect:_ **  
**_During your Main Phase, you can target one Pendulum Monster on your side field and a Monster on your opponent's field. That Monster loses ATK equal to your chosen Pendulum Monster until the end of your turn._ ** _**If this card battles an opponent's Monster, double the battle damage your opponent takes and convert it into effect damage.** _

Nico took a moment to let his shock disappear, just as amazed at Yuzu's new Monster as the crowd was.

"Glad you thought her entrance was exciting, because now that she's here? It's time for Harmonia to begin her grand performance by activating her effect! By targeting another Pendulum Monster on my field, I can decrease the ATK points of one of your Monsters by the same amount." Yuzu revealed.

"But your Opera isn't a Pendulum Monster." Mikiyo remarked.

"True... for now, that is." Yuzu replied, holding up her remaining card.

Mikiyo gasped.

"I activate the Spell card, Dimensional Arc!" She exclaimed.

**_Dimensional Arc (Quick-Play Spell)_ **

**_Effect:_ **  
**_Choose one Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Pendulum Monster on your field. Until your End Phase, all Monsters on your field are treated as the same type of Monster as the one chosen._ **

A red aura was shown surrounding Harmonia, which was the energy that represented Pendulum Monsters, before it spread out like a wave across Yuzu's field. Opera's eyes widened as she gained that same aura as her own.

**(Opera the Melodious Diva | Pendulum)**

"If I have a Monster on the field that's not a Standard Monster, then Dimensional Arc lets me turn all Standard Monsters into the same kind of Monster until my End Phase, making my Opera turn into a Pendulum Monster!" Yuzu revealed, showing half of Opera's card frame turning teal.

"But... that would mean-" Mikiyo gasped.

"That's right! Now Opera, it's time to unite your song with Harmonia's!" Yuzu confirmed, beginning her move.

**"Empathy's Orchestra!"**

Harmonia began to hum a song, which caused Opera to join her as their sound waves resonated. Once she heard their song, Wingweaver gained a relaxed look on her face, causing her wings to fold onto her body.

**(Wingweaver | ATK: 450)**

"Battle! Harmonia, attack her Wingweaver and end this duel!" Yuzu ordered.

**"Eternal Rainbow Melody!"**

Her Monster began to sing, summoning a horizontal cyclone of rainbow flower petals.

"I activate my Trap card!" Mikiyo countered.

The Trap flipped itself up to reveal it was Defense Draw, which left the You Show group worried.

"Using my Defense Draw, the battle damage is negated, and I get to draw a card." She smiled.

"Sorry, but that Trap won't save you." Yuzu replied.

That confused Mikiyo, along with most of the crowd.

"When Harmonia deals you damage through a battle, not only is that damage doubled, but... it turns into effect damage!" She revealed.

Mikiyo let out a panicked gasp, while most of the audience gasped.

"Defense Draw only negates battle damage, so that means..." Tatsuya realized.

"Yuzu wins!" Ayu smiled.

The rainbow flower petals struck Wingweaver, causing her to scream.

"And now, Harmonia's effect activates!" Yuzu shouted, raising a hand.

**"Harmonic Resonance!"**

An aurora appeared above the sky, and the rainbow petals soon hit Mikiyo, sending her flying as she began doing back flips through the air.

**Mikiyo Naname - 0 LP**

**WINNER: Yuzu Hiragi**

"There goes my encore!" She shouted, landing on her feet before tripping backwards.

**[Insert Song End]**

And with that, Yuzu took deep breaths, hearing the crowd go wild at her victory.

"Nice job Yuzu!" Rinko cheered.

Hearing that voice, Yuzu turned to see her mother alongside the You Show group, having just arrived to see her daughter's winning move.

"Mom, you're here!" She smiled.

"Sorry I missed your first duel and most of this one, but I was definitely here to see that grand finale of yours." Rinko smiled, winking at her.

Yuzu smiled before facing the crowd and giving the same wink her mother gave her.

As he saw this, Yuya looked at Yuzu before she did the same, before both closed their eyes and let out a playful laugh.

* * *

Having finally found a spot to park their Duel Runner away from a crowd, Yugo and Rin finally got a good look at the latter's Winter Bell as its glow reached its peak. However, they were blinded by a bright flash before they could.

When they could finally see again, Rin's bracelet had stopped glowing as they got a huge surprise.

The card artwork for her Winter Bell had changed somewhat, and while it's Level, along with its Attack and Defense, remained unchanged? Its effect hadn't, having become stronger and gained a secondary power.

"Whoa! What happened to your Winter Bell?" Yugo asked, his eyes still wide.

"I'm not sure. It's almost like she was calling to someone." Rin guessed.

As she looked at her signature card and the changes to it, a translucent figure was seen standing beside her.

**_"Good luck, Rin."_ **

Rin blinked a few times before looking at Yugo.

"Why are you wishing me luck?" She asked.

"What are you talking about? I didn't say anything." He questioned, looking at her in confusion.

"Huh?" Rin blinked.

Looking around, Rin tried to see if anyone was nearby, but to no avail.

'What just happened?' She thought, a confused expression on her face.

As the two were distracted, they failed to notice a member of LDS placing a letter on the seat of their Duel Runner, then leaving without them ever knowing he was there to begin with.

* * *

Like with Rin, a bright flash blinded Ruri as her Assembly Nightingale's glowing form reached its peak, temporarily blinding her.

Once she could finally see again?

"No way!" She gasped as she saw it.

Like with Winter Bell, her Monster's artwork had changed slightly, but the changes after that were much bigger than Winter Bell's were. Assembly Nightingale was now a Rank 7 Monster that had 2400 ATK and 2000 DEF, just like her counterpart's signature cards. Needless to say, it was _much_ stronger now.

"This is..." Ruri breathed in disbelief.

The top of her deck soon glowed, making her draw two glowing cards to reveal a pair of new Monsters that seemed to have just been created in response to the issues that came from how she'd be able to summon Assembly Nightingale with its increased rank.

"Maybe... maybe I'm just that tired, and... when I wake up, all of this will have turned out to be a hallucination or a dream? Yeah, that has to be it!" She told herself, letting out a forced laugh in response.

Ruri put her cards back into their respective decks, and then laid back onto the ground, immediately falling asleep.

As she slept, the same translucent figure that Rin had heard earlier appeared besides her. Knowing she was too tired to notice anything, the figure rubbed her head, making Ruri smile in her sleep.

**_"Rest well Ruri, you'll need all your strength for what's coming."_ **

The figure soon disappeared, though Ruri's sleeping face briefly showed confusion, almost as if she _did_ hear their words.

* * *

Going back in time somewhat, the scene opens to the start of Barrett and Reiji's Duel, where the former had Beastborg Panther Predator.

After dealing a blow to Reiji's life points... he paused to begin his story.

"I began life in the Fusion Dimension as a hunter for food, trying to help the many children who had no food for themselves. A sight that's unfortunately all too common in our world... which I'm sure you've never seen because you've only visited Duel Academy." He began.

"I'll admit that I don't know the Fusion Dimension as a whole, but based on your words, I'm assuming that it isn't as prosperous as this one is and that the Xyz Dimension once was?" Reiji assumed.

Barrett closed his eyes, lowering his head.

"Isn't as prosperous? Saying that my home has any form of prosperity is too generous." He replied.

Those words caught Reiji's attention somewhat, but Barrett chose to stop taking about it.

"Eventually, that lifestyle because too much of a struggle for me. I still wanted to help those children, but the life of hunting was taking too much of a toll, yet it seemed like it was my only option... until I was offered a job as an instructor and caretaker at Duel Academy." Barrett revealed.

"What exactly led you to accept such a job? From what I learned about Duel Academy when I visited it, the school's only purpose is to train Duel Soldiers." Reiji inquired.

"That's true, at least... it's true in the present day. I'm sad to say that your visit happened around the time everything began to change for the worst... with most of us blind to what was really happening until it was too late for any of us to stop the Professor." He admitted, closing his eye.

Reiji wondered what that meant, thinking back to that fateful day from 3 years ago.

The day he managed to find himself in the Fusion Dimension.

* * *

_Inside a room with a capsule, energy was seen sparking inside as a 13-year old Reiji suddenly fell through it, looking surprised as he saw his surroundings. All he could understand was that he had entered some kind of laboratory._

_Realizing it wasn't safe to stay inside of it, Reiji quickly left, soon finding him in the halls of what seemed to be a large building._

_"Just where am I?" He questioned, trying to keep calm._

_"There she is! Don't let her escape!" Someone shouted._

_Reiji's eyes widened as he hid behind part of the wall's structure, then briefly peeked his head out to see a 12-year old girl in a yellow outfit running through the hall, looking scared as she did._

_Unfortunately, her attempts to run were soon stopped as an Antique Gear Beast appeared in her path, making her fall over._

_"No, I was... I was almost-!" She cried._

_A few men soon walked into view, one of which grabbed her._

_"I'm afraid the chase is over. Now, give up and come back quietly, or we'll be forced to take extreme measures." A man with pale hair warned, glaring at her._

_"No way, I refuse to be part of this! You can't make me!" She shouted, readying her Duel Disk._

_"Then you leave us no choice." The man sighed._

_The pale haired man and the other men behind him all activated their Duel Disks, which is when Reiji noticed they were shaped like shields and had card zones shaped like swords._

**_"BATTLE ROYALE: ENGAGED!"_ **

_All of the men soon destroyed the girl's Life Points and field, defeating her in just two turns._

_"You can still be of use to us, just not in the way we hoped." The pale haired man sighed._

_Pressing a button, Reiji watched in horror as the girl screamed before her body disappeared, replaced by a card with her terrified portrait on it._

_'She was... turned into a card!' He thought._

_Not wanting to be next, Reiji ran off until he found himself outside, though he briefly stopped when he saw a younger Yuri and Serena dueling each other. His eyes widened as he initially mistook them for Yuya and Yuzu, who he had seen through photos his father owned._

_'Wait, why are they here?' He asked himself._

_"I play my Fusion Spell to merge my Predator Plant Sundew Kingii and Predator Plant Banksai Ogre!" Yuri announced, revealing his Spell card._

_Reiji watched as Yuri summoned Predator Plant Chimerafflesia, a Monster with a purple card frame. As this was before he knew of Extra Deck monsters, and therefore before he brought them to his Dimension, the sight of it was a surprise to him._

_'I've never seen that kind of Monster before!' Reiji thought, wondering what made it different from Standard and Ritual Monsters._

_Looking back at Yuri, he blinked a few times before realizing this boy only looked like Yuya, among a few other differences compared to the Yuri he had seen in the present day. The first was he wore the same red uniform that Serena did in the present day, with his face looking closer to his counterparts and lacking his bushy eyebrows._

_Serena was pretty much the same, only having shorter ponytail because she was younger, though she also didn't have the scary expression she had in the present day. That was it though, as she didn't gain any facial changes like Yuri somehow did._

_'No, these two aren't Yuya and Yuzu, and I bet their similarities are connected to those Monsters with the purple frames.' Reiji realized._

_He ran off to find information, causing a sound that caught the duo's attention._

_"Did you hear that?" Serena asked._

_"Yeah, but it was probably just another student watch our duel." Yuri replied, shrugging his shoulders._

* * *

_Without knowing how long he ran and hid for; Reiji eventually found a room with a data terminal inside of it._

_"Here we go." He stated._

_He opened the terminal and began looking for information, and then... saw something that truly shocked him. It was a folder labeled **Revival Zero** , with two sub-folders that were named **R.A** and **Y.H** , which he then opened._

_In the former folder, he found an image of Serena and Yuzu, and in the latter folder, an image of Yuri and Yuya. He had no idea what either of them meant, but... something about the folder names felt oddly familiar to him._

_"I need to find more information, and if there's a picture of these two in here, then... my father has to be here!" Reiji realized, looking at Yuya and Yuzu's pictures._

_Unfortunately, not long after he left the room? Reiji found himself captured by members of the Obelisk Force, who brought him to the pier, and held his arms until someone arrived to greet him._

_That was when he saw his father... who had changed since he last saw him, having apparently gone bald and now wearing some kind of cybernetic attachment on his head._

_"Father!" Reiji shouted._

_"To think you'd actually manage to follow me to the Fusion Dimension. If anything, I'll admit that I'm impressed." Leo stated._

_"Fusion Dimension? What are you talking about? Better yet, why did you abandon me and mother!?" Reiji questioned._

_Leo said nothing, taking out some kind of watch._

_"Answer me!" Reiji demanded, struggling to get out of the Obelisk Force's grip._

_"It won't matter what you learn. My plans are already in motion, and with the power of Duel Academy slowly falling into my grasp... I will soon unite every world into a single supreme world. If you truly believe you can stop me? Then try, using the little information I've left back home." Leo replied as if ignoring Reiji's words._

_He placed the watch on Reiji's wrist, which began to glow as the dimensional transfer began._

_"What is this!?" He demanded._

_"A miniature of the dimensional transfer you got here with. It will destroy itself when you return, and then seal the coordinates that brought you to Duel Academy." Leo revealed, walking away._

_"Stop! I'm not done talking to you!" Reiji shouted._

_However, right as he said those words? The transfer had begun pulling him back to Maiami City._

_"Father!" He screamed._

_And with that scream, he completely vanished from the face of Duel Academy._

* * *

His memory finished playing back as Barrett continued his story.

"I met Yuri and Serena often during the early days of my job, and in time, became something like a father to them, as they were orphans who never met their parents. That left me somewhat relieved when they didn't get assigned to attack the Xyz Dimension with me... especially when it cost me more than my left eye." He continued, touching it.

Barret briefly recalled the Trap card that killed some of his comrades, which all but his left eye survived.

"Unfortunately, when I came back from Xyz? Something happened to them. They had... changed, and it wasn't for the better." Barrett revealed, clenching his right fist.

"I take it that means the way I saw them act before they left wasn't how they used to act around you?" Reiji assumed.

Barrett paused as Reiji set his Pendulum Scale.

"They were unusual, but... I knew how kind they were, and coming back to see those terrifying looks on their faces as they carded traitors with a smile? I knew something had happened. That became a reality when I found out that some of the students hated the invasion and tried to flee, including a fellow Osiris Red they were both classmates and friends with, who inspired them to leave with her." He answered, closing his eyes.

'Something about this doesn't feel right... and I think that means he's telling the truth, but I still need more information.' Reiji realized.

Barrett saw his face and seemed to know what he was thinking, and continued.

"Their escape failed. Their friend's fate is unknown, but implied to be either dead or carded, and then... they were brought back to Duel Academy for what I'm assuming was some form of re-education. I believe this is what caused them to become the very things they tried to run away from." He revealed.

Reiji said nothing, but his thoughts were clear.

'Then all of Yuya and Yuzu's counterparts should have been allies against Duel Academy, meaning my father did something to those two. Something that caused them to go from being against his actions to doing them without a second thought. Question is... what could achieve that?' Reiji thought.

"Thanks for confessing!" Yuri smirked.

Barrett's eyes widened in horror, while Reiji showed surprise, as Yuri and Serena reappeared behind the former as if it was planned. Yuri then held up a card into the air.

"I activate my Ivy Bind Castle!" He exclaimed.

Walls of ivy formed around the hall, sealing off Reiji from Barrett and the Fusion duo.

**DUEL TERMINATED: NO RESULT**

Barrett on the other hand was cornered by the ivy, with Serena holding up her Duel Disk.

"Professor, it's us. We've confirmed Barrett as a traitor in our ranks like you expected. Now that we have, be ready to start the invasion once you receive our coordinates." She said with a dark smirk on her face.

"Traitor? What are you-" Barrett questioned, knowing he was caught.

"The Professor had a feeling you'd be joining us on our mission, so he linked our Duel Disks to yours so we could hear everything you say. You never knew this because he sent the rest of our instructions to our Duel Disks before we memorized and deleted them." Yuri revealed.

Reiji couldn't hear anything, so he tapped his Duel Disk.

"Nakajima, you see what's happening, right? Connect my Duel Disk to the cameras so I can at least hear what's going on." He requested.

"Connecting you now." Nakajima replied.

The audio reached his Duel Disk as Serena walked to Yuri's side, followed by her putting her hands on her cheeks.

"Aw, the poor former warrior of the Xyz Invasion goes soft over two kids because of an injury that blinded him? It's such a shame that such a powerful Duel Soldier chose to betray us." She mocked, before aiming a dark smirk towards him.

"I may have lost an eye, but if anything, losing one eye let me see things clearly. I know this isn't who you two really are!" Barret shouted, readying his Duel Disk.

"You know who we _used_ to be. After we met with the Doktor, he really opened our eyes and freed us. Now we can hurt anyone we want!" Yuri replied, looking unfazed.

Barret's eye widened.

"The Doktor?" He said, hearing his voice shake.

Suddenly, he understood everything.

"You... you aren't Yuri and Serena, you're some of that psycho's Parasites controlling them! Admit it!" He demanded.

Realizing what he said, Yuri let out a laugh and closed his eyes, with Serena smirking as she did the same.

When their eyes finally reopened... there was no light in them, making their faces look even scarier than they had before. Barrett's eye shook upon seeing he had been right, and knowing what that meant for him.

"Oh well, since it won't matter much longer? There's no reason to keep hiding it." Serena replied, now having a second voice overlapping hers.

"Although, since you found us out... I'm afraid this is your end!" Yuri smirked, also having a second voice overlapping his.

Before Barrett could even draw a card? Starve Venom was summoned and grabbed him, unleashing a feral roar as more orbs grew out of its skin. More than likely, Yuri's Parasite had also infected his signature Monster.

"You can't stop us, and you'll never free these two from our control! You will meet your end knowing these words as your last! With the power these two possess... all will fall to us, and all will be destroyed until there is nothing left!" Parasite Yuri exclaimed.

Yuri and Serena's bodies soon released a dark aura took the shape of a demonic face, leaving Barrett horrified.

'What... is that!?' Reiji questioned.

Yuri then tapped his Duel Disk, and Barrett screamed as he was turned into a card, which Serena picked up.

"And now, to make sure you don't bother us again?" Parasite Serena declared.

She smirked as she pulled on it a certain way.

*"RIP!"*

An unheard scream left Barrett's card as it was torn in half, causing it to dissolve as his soul trapped inside was destroyed. Reiji could only stare in horror at the sight, as while he knew someone in a card was still alive?

Since Barret's card was torn, that likely meant... he was _truly_ gone.

"A shame we can't seal Reiji into a card, but orders are orders." Parasite Yuri sighed.

"No worries, we'll have plenty of fun sealing everyone into cards once the Professor sends his forces to capture our counterparts. The time of Revival Zero is near." Parasite Serena replied.

They laughed as they pulled out the Spells that they used to teleport from the hall earlier, with their eyes reverting to normal before they vanished.

With Yuri no longer nearby, the Ivy Bind Castle disappeared, leaving Reiji to stand where he was with a look of fear on his face from what he just saw.

"Father... how could you do this?" He whispered.

* * *

Afternoon soon rolled around, with everyone from You Show gathered as they had a small celebration over both Rinko's return, and because LDS had announced there would be a special news report on how the next round of the Junior Division would go.

It seemed whatever this announcement was? This year, the plans for deciding the Duelists of the Quarterfinals were going to be big!

"Next up is Duel News! After intense battles over the past few days, the Junior Division, which has been said to have had the most exciting duels among all three divisions this year, is now down to its Top 16 Duelists!" Joy announced.

"So, the Junior Division has been rated higher than the Senior Divisions this year? That's quite the bold claim." Rinko remarked.

While it was definitely a bold claim? It was still true. Because of duels in the first round, such as Yuya's, Yuzu's, and Shun's against Sora (despite how it ended), the bar for the Junior Division this year was a high one.

"Now, it's time to introduce our Duelists, because what comes after will make knowing their names important!" Joy smiled.

"They're introducing us? Why do that when everyone should already knows?" Yuya questioned.

"Guess we're about to find out." Shuzo replied.

First up was Yuya and Yuzu's pictures, which got everyone in You Show excited.

"Our first two competitors are new fan favorites Yuya Sakaki and Yuzu Hiragi, the aces of You Show Duel School and the pioneers behind Pendulum Summoning! Yuya first discovered this form of summon in a duel against Strong Ishijima, and both him and Yuzu have further discovered its secrets, with many hoping to see a duel between them!" Joy revealed.

"Yeah, my daughter's the best! Let me hear everyone cheer-" Shuzo screamed.

Rinko slapped him with her own copy of Yuzu's fan, making him fall over.

"Honey, we're trying to watch this." She calmly warned.

"Sorry..." He apologized, slowly standing back up.

Following their introduction came three Knight of Duels members, along with almost all of the Duelists that Yuya and Yuzu had to defeat so they could qualify for this year's Championship (with Yoko going crazy over seeing Michio), until they reached a Duelist none of them had noticed before now.

"Next is Teppei Tairyobata, the Fishing Duelist who knows how to wait out his moves before catching the big win." Joy revealed.

"I've heard of him. They say his deck specializes in burn damage and field removal, which means it could be dangerous for Pendulum Monsters." Rinko mentioned.

"He has to be good if he's made it this far." Yuzu replied, taking her mom's warning to heart.

Next to appear was none other than Gongenzaka, who showed a strong image in his photo.

"Then we have Noboru Gongenzaka, heir to the Steadfast Dueling style, which he's recently learned to evolve. Don't let his deck of all Monsters fool you, because there's new powers he's yet to reveal against those who'd try to knock him down!" Joy revealed.

After that, Shun's image appeared, causing the You Show trio to show sour faces, confusing Rinko as she noticed this.

"Here's Shun Kurosaki, the dark horse candidate of LDS, who's duel against Sora from You Show is still lingering in everyone's minds. Our usual audience was halved because many were afraid of his next duel, but hopefully his duel in round 2 will bring everyone back." She continued.

Rinko moved near her daughter.

"Is there a reason those three seem to be a little... sour faced with Shun?" She whispered.

"Sora disappeared after losing his duel, so I think they're blaming him for it." Yuzu explained.

Rinko nodded in understanding.

Following that, the remaining competitors were all introduced, and then... they revealed the announcement.

"Now, for all of you wondering why we introduced all these competitors when you already know them? It's because LDS has decided the next round will be a new kind of duel. This is the official debut of... the Battle Royale!" Joy revealed.

This caught everyone's attention.

"Battle Royale?" Yuya repeated.

"Going by the name, it sounds like a variant of the Tag Duel rules." Shuzo guessed.

"LDs says they'll reveal everything about the rules tomorrow, but for now? The big part of this announcement is to best showcase this new kind of duel, they've asked 40 Duelists who qualified for the Maiami Championship before this round, but after the deadline to join, and given 8 Duelists a second chance. In other words, the 8 Duelists who'll move on to the Quarterfinals will be decided not from 16 Duelist... but from 64!" She announced.

Everyone in the room gasped.

"64!?" Yuzu repeated.

"Holy crap!" Yuya shouted.

"That number of Duelists is insane, and yet it's so hot blooded that my blood's on fire!" Shuzo screamed, looking excited.

Both Yuzu and Rinko hit him with their fans in response.

"Now, while the 40 additional Duelists will be hidden until the Battle Royale begins? Here are the eight Duelists who've been given a second shot at the tournament." Joy continued.

The screen changed to show pictures of Sawatari, Mieru, Ankokuji, Kachidoki, Yaiba, Hokuto, Masumi, and Sora.

Yuya and Yuzu's eyes widened as they saw Sora's photo, while the You Show trio smiled as they saw it.

"Sora's back in!" Ayu smiled.

"Maybe he was hoping he'd get another chance and left to do some duel training?" Tatsuya hoped.

"I've got the shivers times two!" Futoshi shouted happily.

Yuya and Yuzu said nothing, knowing this meant Sora would likely be coming back, and this time... he might not be their friend.

* * *

Night soon came, with everyone going home to rest up for tomorrow's Battle Royale event.

The scene opened up to Yuzu's room, where her mother was giving her some words of encouragement for tomorrow's event.

"I don't know what this Battle Royale will be like, but make sure to give it your all." Rinko encouraged, pumping her fist.

"Thanks mom." Yuzu smiled.

Rinko smiled back before preparing to walk out of the room, but right as she was about to touch the light switch...

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Yuya asked me to give you this. Seems he's too shy to say it to your face." She said, winking in response.

Yuzu saw her mom leave a folded paper on her desk before turning the lights off.

Deciding to see what that note was, Yuzu turned her lamp on and grabbed the paper, unfolding the message Yuya had left for her.

_"Yuzu, after what nearly happened in today's match? I finally get it... because you helped me see it."_

Yuzu was confused, but kept reading.

_"No matter how much I try to simply put on a show, or how loud I try to make my words for the fans watching me? My voice alone won't be enough to reach everyone, not as I am right now. Seeing you nearly lose because I may have distracted you by worrying about me, and how Kachidoki reacted when I beat him, has let me realize my dueling is too conceited. I haven't accomplished anything, and while I'm trying to be a great Entertainment Duelist? The way I been doing it has been through shadowing my father."_

_"I still haven't found the kind of dueling that I can truly call my own, and because of that? I didn't try to understand Kachidoki's heart, so the way I won only made him feel worse. Now that he's been invited back into the tournament for the Battle Royale, I know he's going to come after me. As such, it's time I learn how to truly reach the hearts of the crowd. Pendulum Summoning was something I discovered, and something my father doesn't have, so... it's time I start dueling with that in mind."_

Yuzu smiled as she read this, glad that he was no longer troubled, as she wasn't sure if he had truly gotten over Kachidoki's nasty reaction.

_"However, I realize that it's not something I can do on my own. After all, you and I have pushed the boundaries of Pendulum Summoning together. Before now, I never really understood how if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have found the power of Pendulum to begin with."_

Hearing those words, she gasped in surprise.

_"When my dad disappeared, you were the one who stood by me most, helped me to keep going. If a pendulum swings both ways, then you're the reason mine has been able to keep swinging. I bet my father knew that when he gave you that necklace. I want to make a world where everyone smiles, and hopefully prevent what happened to the Xyz Dimension, so no one suffers like Yuto and Shun did. No matter what happens, I'll try to reach everyone and make them smile, so... I hope you'll help me achieve that."_

Yuzu smiled as tears fell from her eyes.

"Of course I will... Yuya." She answered, wiping her tears.

That night, she went to sleep with little issue as her mind felt at peace, which was something she'd need due to the events that would follow.

Because Yuya's words would ring true in a way neither of them realized.

* * *

Deep within Duel Academy, the sight of Sora could be seen as he stood before Leo, looking nervous as he waited for him to speak.

"So, you wish to return to the Pendulum Dimension, correct?" Leo asked.

"Y-Yes sir, I still need to deal with those Xyz Fugitives, especially after one of them toyed with me!" Sora answered, trying to keep his anger under control.

Leo said nothing... and then smirked.

"Lucky for you, it seems my son has been emboldened by seeing Yuri and Serena, and has apparently given you a second chance in his tournament." He replied.

Sora looked surprised at that.

"He's actually challenging us? Guess for all his dueling skills, he's an idiot with everything else." Sora remarked.

"True, which is why I'll be sending you to the Pendulum Dimension... alongside some help." Leo revealed.

Sora heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see various people wearing blue like him, but also fiend-like masks on their face. Although, there were a few of them who wore yellow with masks that had a more avian appearance to them.

"The Obelisk Force, and... the Ra Force!?" Sora said, surprised to see the latter.

"Really, you didn't even notice us?" A deep female voice said.

"Can you blame him? Even if he's strong, he's still just an Obelisk Blue in the school's ranking system." An airy female voice remarked.

Sora paled as he heard those voices.

"Now, time for you to know your full objectives while you are there, because right now... everything I need is in Maiami City." Leo continued, smirking as he did.

With those seven words? Leo Akaba had officially began the Battle of Four Worlds.

* * *

**This chapter sure dropped a lot of bombs, didn't it? I guess the first one to cover would be the fact that the Yuri and Serena of this story are both infected by the Parasites, which are using their Dub name for a spoiler-related reason. This is also why Yuri's a bit more worried about losing, because the Parasites infecting them are prototypes to the ones that infected the girls, and said prototypes _will_ die if their host's Life Points hit zero a duel.**

**Now, focusing on Rin and Ruri? Their signature cards have evolved into stronger forms, while Yuzu has actually gained one, since Prodigy Mozart never had the right effect to match the others' Ace Monsters in strength. Cat Dancer's already strong enough, but glowed just to help Harmonia's card form, as Serena and Yuri's decks are already powerful.**

**Barrett and Reiji's duel was mostly unchanged, but was cut off by the point Reiji used a Pendulum Summon, and as for why I killed him off? Besides his role in revealing the Parasites, he was an important person to the duo, so his death will affect them once they're free. Likewise, his death is meant to serve as a way of showing how dangerous these Prototypes Parasites really are. After all, _both_ Parasites were emitting that dark aura.**

**As some people may ask me why I added it in so early? Yuya's speech to Yuzu happens here because of a combination of how Kachidoki and him will have a rematch in the Battle Royale, and because without giving too much away, _none_ of the bracelet girls are getting captured/recaptured in this story. As such, I decided he should give it to her here.**

**For the last thing I'll clear up before we officially end this chapter? This larger Battle Royale means there will be more Lancers than in canon, though most of those extra 40 won't even appear on-screen, and will be among those Duel Academy cards to show off their threat. For those who aren't? Some of them are either Yuya and Yuzu's dimensional counterparts or are among neglected canon characters, so prepare to see a lot of twists.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

**The time has come for the Battle Royale, where 64 Duelists are going to clash for the right to be one of 8 Duelists who will move onto the Quarterfinals... yet almost none of them are aware of the true purpose behind this large-scale event. Not to mention that Reiji has pulled a huge gamble by allowing 5 of the 64 Duelists to be members of Duel Academy of his own free will, even though he has a reason behind letting them all join in.**

**Luckily, since the Battle Royale has only just begun? They'll be waiting before they make their move and begin the invasion. Basically, the Obelisk Force and the Ra Force members won't appear on the battlefield until they're given the green light. When they do show up, well... let's just say the Parasites in Serena and Yuri's heads have a reason for playing the waiting game.**

**Since we'll be seeing Ruri and Rin having more duels, I think it's time I explain why the cards of their signature Monsters changed the way they did in the previous chapter. In canon, it's implied that Yuri's deck evolved after he absorbed Yugo to make it possible for it to use Clear Wing, and I decided for this story to use that detail in a different way that links each of the Dragon Boys to their respective dimension's Bracelet Girl.**

**Basically, their decks can evolve, as best shown with Yuya and Yuzu in "Before the Four Worlds", with Yuri and Serena's decks having almost fully evolved due to the Parasites managing to unknowingly be inducing what causes them to evolve. This is another reason Rin and Ruri lost to them so easily, as both of their decks, along with Yuto and Yugo's, have barely evolved.**

**Last thing I'll bring up before we begin, since this just hit me and might have no way to be casually brought up in the story without being forced? While the counterparts are like twin siblings, I do have an oldest to youngest order set up for both sides. The boys are the same as the manga, while it's Rin, Serena, Yuzu, then Ruri for the girls. Rin's oldest due to being like Yugo's mother, and Ruri's youngest due to being Shun's sister.**

**With that, all I have left to say is... let the Battle Royale begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 5 - Calm Before the Storm]**

The scene opened to the LDS monitoring room, where Reiji was sitting alongside Reira, Nakajima, and all of his staff.

He waited where he sat until, after a minute or two, the platform elevator raised itself up as the LDS Trio and Sawatari were brought into the room. Hokuto had a bandage on his left cheek, while Sawatari had a suspicious look on his face.

"Alright Reiji, we came like you asked, so what's this all about? Better yet, what's up with doing this Battle Royale instead of the usual 1 vs 1 duels?" Sawatari questioned.

"I'm a little surprised you of all people would ask me something like that, considering you're getting a second shot at the Tournament." Reiji asked, testing him somewhat.

Sawatari scowled somewhat.

"Because I'm not stupid, that's why! Back in the first round, that Shun guy did too much damage to an Action Field and put his opponent in his hospital, who suddenly made all the nonsense he said look true when he suddenly began acting all nasty shortly after the field began falling apart! After that, Yuya's eyes glowed red in his duel, and Yuzu drew a card that glowed pink in her duel, even implying it was just created! So, are you going to keep playing dumb, or will you finally fess up?" He shouted, glaring at Reiji.

Hearing all of that caused Reiji to clap a few times.

"Quite the skilled analysis. I wonder if this is the result of your new deck and how you've changed somewhat since your duel against Yuya?" Reiji praised.

"Are you mocking me!?" Sawatari questioned angrily.

"Far from it, since you're actually correct. There is something more going on... and I have some idea of what it is, but not all of it, which is why I've called all six of you here." Reiji answered as he adjusted his glasses.

As he said that, the elevator rose up to reveal Shun and Yuto, with the latter trying to hold the former from charging at Reiji with limited success.

"What's going on here, Akaba!? Why would you give that Fusion Freak another chance in this tournament!?" Shun demanded, ready to attack him.

Reiji closed his eyes and said nothing, until finally...

"You're free to hit me if you want. That is, if you want this city to become the same kind of wasteland as your home." He revealed.

Hearing that, Shun's stopped struggling as he and Yuto gasped in horror, with the LDS trio all gasping in reply.

"What are you talking about?" Sawatari asked nervously.

"Something that will affect us all, and that I hope your skills will be enough to prevent, due to how your Abyss Actors are heavily focused on Pendulum Summoning." Reiji explained.

Sawatari had no idea what to say, so he decided to just listen as Reiji looked towards Shun and Yuto.

"First off, I believe you'll want to see this recording of something that happened during Yuzu Hiragi's match, because it was something that not only managed to surprise me... but horrify me in a way that even _I_ never saw coming." He continued.

Turning around, everyone looked at the screen, unaware of a seventh LDS student coming up the elevator as the recording of Yuri and Serena cornering Barrett was shown to all of them... pausing at the moment the Parasites revealed themselves.

"What's going on here?" Yuto questioned.

"I'd like the answer to the same question, and a lot more!" Sawatari shouted, his body shaking from what he just saw.

"How are there more people who resemble Yuya, and... why is there someone who looks just like Yuzu?" Masumi asked.

After looking closer, Hokuto gasped.

"I recognize those two! Both of them ambushed me earlier today!" He shouted angrily, pointing at them.

Yaiba and Masumi's eyes widened.

"Those two did?" Yaiba questioned.

"Yeah! They ambushed me, and based on how they got inside, stole my ID card to get into the stadium!" Hokuto confirmed.

Reiji nodded in confirmation before looking at Sawatari.

"Now, to get you up to speed on everything..." He began.

Sawatari's face widened as Reiji told him about everything that was going on, leaving him to just stand there lifelessly as his mind tried to process it, and once it finally did?

"What the hell!?" He screamed.

Reiji then looked at Masumi.

"As for how there's another boy that resembles Yuya, and a girl that resembles Yuzu? That's because both of them have counterparts living in each dimension." He explained.

"So, that means Yuto's resemblance to Yuya is..." Masumi realized.

"Exactly what you're thinking, and I have more to say about that, but we'll get to it later. Right now, the important thing I need all of you to know is that, as of right now... all of Yuya and Yuzu's counterparts are in Maiami City." Reiji revealed.

Shun gasped upon hearing that.

"No way... Ruri managed to escape from the Fusion Dimension? If that's really true, then why haven't you tried to find her!?" Shun demanded, giving Reiji a murderous glare.

"Because if we try to find her right this second, we might give the Professor exactly what he wants... especially since he may have let her escape _on purpose_." He answered, emphasizing his last two words.

Hearing those words dispelled Shun's anger, replacing it with a look of confusion.

"Watch the rest of this recording. Hopefully, doing so will let you see why I believe your sister's escape might be part of his plans." Reiji continued, turning back to the screen.

Everyone did the same as it continued playing, and once they did... they saw it.

Yuto felt his body tense up as he saw the Parasites inside of Yuri and Serena form the facial expressions that caused the ominous aura and its demonic expression to appear.

"What the hell is that!?" Shun questioned, feeling himself shaking slightly.

Yuto suddenly screamed, getting everyone's attention as he fell to his knees.

"Yuto? Yuto, what's wrong!?" Shun questioned.

"Z... Z... Z..." He mumbled in unbridled terror.

Reiji glanced at this, knowing that it was a vague, yet clear sign to why Yuya, Yuzu, and their counterparts were important to his father's goals.

Once the demonic face vanished in response to Barrett being carded, Yuto felt himself calm down, and took heavy breaths as he held his chest.

"Are you alright?" Shun asked, a worried look on his face.

"Yeah... I'm fine, just... a little shaken." Yuto answered, still taking heavy breaths and holding his chest.

"What happened? You just saw that face, and then..." Shun asked.

"It was Dark Rebellion... it was afraid." Yuto explained, still shaking.

Shun's eyes widened.

"Dark Rebellion... was afraid?" Shun asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, in fact? I think it's _still_ afraid." Yuto answered.

Reiji showed some concern over those implications, but realized he needed more information before he could say anything solid about them.

"Well, regardless of what caused your reaction? I do agree that whatever let those Parasites manifest that demonic face and aura is dangerous. After all, Shun told me that soldiers of Duel Academy need the people they card... meaning _this_ is cause for concern." He continued.

Everyone turned back to the screen, which is where they saw the fateful moment when Serena's Parasite made her hands rip Barrett's card in half.

No one's reaction was a surprise as they saw the two halves fall to the floor, before dissolving away to mark Barrett was gone... never to return.

"No way..." Shun said, trembling slightly.

Shortly after that was done, then came the line that caused him to hear why Reiji believed that not only was Ruri in the Pendulum Dimension, but that the Professor wanted her to escape from Duel Academy in the first place.

_"No worries, we'll have plenty of fun sealing everyone into cards once the Professor sends his forces to capture our counterparts. The time of Revival Zero is near." Parasite Serena replied._

With that, Shun simply stared until the recording finished with Reiji being freed from the Ivy Bind Castle.

"Is that why they were inside the stadium during Yuzu's duel?" Hokuto asked.

"It can't be... can it?" Masumi replied, though she was doubting her own words.

"No, I'm afraid Hokuto's right, as they tried to capture Yuzu Hiragi's mother for what was likely going to be either blackmail or a hostage situation." Reiji answered.

Both of them flinched after hearing that.

"I... I really don't want to admit it, but... after seeing that and hearing what you just said? You might be right." Shun admitted, barely managing to do so.

Reiji nodded his head as he turned back to the group.

"And here's my evidence to why I believe that, along with why I'm almost certain that the real Yuri and Serena are as against the Professor's plans as each of your sister and Yuto's counterparts." He replied.

He brought up the folder images linked to his copy of the Revival Zero folder, getting everyone's attention.

"What's this?" Yuto asked.

"Something I found when I ended up in the Fusion Dimension over 3 years ago, but I'll explain why I was there after we cover these last few details I need you to know." Reiji explained.

He closed his eyes.

"Whatever this Revival Zero means, I don't know, but... it's more than likely related to the Professor's goal of fusing the Dimensions together. By extension, it must mean that each of the boys' Dragons and the girls' Bracelets have some kind of connection. One that might be related to that demonic face we saw..." He continued.

His eyes reopened.

"And worse? If we consider Yuri and Serena aren't the only two with Parasites, and while I doubt this is the case with everyone in Duel Academy... it's possible that the Xyz Dimension was actually the _second_ dimension to be conquered." Reiji revealed.

Yuto gasped once he heard those words.

"Don't give me that crap! There's no way that Duel Academy or anyone else from the Fusion Dimension attacked our home against their will!" Shun screamed, refusing to give such a theory any kind of consideration.

"So, you're saying that it can't be true under any kind of circumstance? Not even if, hypothetically, the Professor came a different dimension?" Reiji inquired.

Those words caused Shun to go silent, with Reiji's glasses being hidden by the light as if waiting for Shun to somehow retort or counter what he just told him.

"I... have nothing to say to that." Shun replied.

"But I do, though in favor of the Professor being from another Dimension, or more specifically... how he came from this one." Yuto replied, now with a serious look on his face.

Shun looked at Yuto in surprise, while Reiji gave him a nonchalant stare.

"According to your own words, you visited the Fusion Dimension and managed to get that important file about Revival Zero, and told Shun that you knew the identity of the Professor... except, that's the problem. Learning either of those things should have resulted in you getting carded. So, knowing that, how are you still here?" He questioned.

That caught everyone's attention, while Reiji's expression stayed unchanged.

"Because the Professor cares about me enough not to card me, and yet... he's certain that I have no chance of stopping him. After that, he sent me back here and basically challenged me to prove him wrong." He revealed.

"Wait... he let you escape, and told you to try stopping him?" Shun questioned, noticing an unusual pattern.

"Yes, and the scariest part? Even though I refuse to let this fact stop me from trying... he might be right about me being unable to stop him. After all, while I might be able to predict his actions to some degree... the same is true with him, and likely more so." Reiji confirmed.

Reiji looked at everyone.

"Because the Professor raised me until the day he disappeared, leaving me to inherit his position as the head of Leo Corp." He revealed.

Gasps filled the room.

"Wait a second! Reiji, are you saying that the Professor is... your father!?" Sawatari realized.

"That's right... the Professor is none other than Leo Akaba." Reiji confirmed, closing his eyes.

And with those words, silence filled the room.

* * *

During the same time as Reiji's talk with Yuto, Shun, and his four LDS students, Yuri and Serena were seen inside the warehouse that was once used by Sawatari and his three flunkies.

Currently, the two had received a message from Leo about how they, Sora, and two other students had been invited to a Battle Royale in his son's tournament.

"It looks like we don't have to waste time in looking for Ruri and Rin." Yuri smirked.

"Guess the Professor's son inherited his father's confidence, but it's obvious he has no idea what he's up against if he thinks having us in public view will allow him to control or limit what we do." Serena replied.

Right as she said that, their Duel Disks lit up, causing both Parasites to make their hosts' faces look normal as Sora appeared with a chocolate bar in hand.

"Not only am I getting another chance to pluck the wings off of Shun, but I'm getting a great welcome party as well." He smiled with a sinister look.

He then took a bite of his chocolate.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Sora greeted.

"Not since you began your mission here in the Pendulum Dimension, and that horrible Xyz Duelist insulted our honor." Yuri replied, making a nauseated face as he said that last part.

Sora's teeth broke part of this chocolate bar with a loud snap.

"I can promise you this... if I hadn't been forced to uphold my cover when we dueled, he'd be the lying on the ground!" He stated, promising revenge.

Yuri smirked as he let out a quiet laugh.

"So, where are the other two who are supposed to join us?" Serena asked, noticing their absence.

"The Professor's filling them in on everything that happened with me. Since I obviously already knew all of it, he sent me over to make sure there were no issues first. Since there doesn't seem to be any..." Sora explained.

Pressing a button on his Duel Disk, it lit up like Yuri and Serena's had earlier. Five minutes later, a pair of flashes entered the warehouse, confirming their remaining guests had arrived.

"So, this is the Pendulum Dimension, huh?" A deep feminine voice remarked.

"I expected more from what's currently the best of the dimensions to live in." An airy feminine voice sighed, sounding disappointed.

The two Duelists in question were a pair of sisters who almost looked like identical twins, sans a few differences.

On the left was Grace Tyler, the younger sister. She was a fair-skinned woman with yellow eyes and long silver hair with two locks extending to chin length, with some of it hanging over her forehead in a messy fringe, and with a noticeable curl at the end.

What made her older sister, Gloria Tyler, look different from her was she had red eyes and golden-blonde hair. Said hair also looked sharper in certain places, and possessed an angled curve instead of a curl at its end.

Both of them wore a yellow version of the female Duel Academy uniform, showing they were ranked as Ra Yellow students.

"Did you expect a luxury suite or something?" Sora asked with a deadpan expression, right as he ate the last of his chocolate.

"No, just something normal." Gloria replied, being the owner of the deep voice.

"Yeah, this place looks like one of the abandoned buildings we see back home." Grace replied, being the owner of the airy voice.

"Really? I didn't notice that until-" Yuri joked.

He was immediately shut up by Serena slamming her fist into his face, making Sora and the Tyler Sisters stare as he flew into the air and then crashed down.

"Don't ever make that kind of joke again!" Serena screamed.

All three of them winced.

"Serena's gotten scarier since she and Yuri had their first mission..." Grace whispered, shivering a little.

"Don't let her hear you say that." Gloria whispered back, feeling a little nervous.

As Yuri slowly got back on his feet, Serena turned to the Tyler Sisters.

"Anyways... glad to see you two again after so long. If it wasn't for unfortunate circumstances, then we'd be able to have a full reunion." She remarked.

Silence filled the room, with Sora gaining a sad look on his face as that was said, prompting Serena to walk up to Sora and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Which is all the more reason you get your revenge on that Xyz Fugitive." She stated.

He raised his head in confusion, missing Yuri's smirk.

"We could never ID the Duelist who was responsible, so while there's no way to guarantee it... any one of them could be the Duelist who did the deed." Serena revealed.

Hearing that, Sora gave a toothy grin as he took out a lollipop.

"They say revenge tastes bittersweet, but... I think that's for receiving it more than giving it." He stated, taking a bite out of it.

Yuri gave a playful snicker at Sora's words.

"Moving things along, the Battle Royale we've all been invited to starts tomorrow at 12 PM sharp, and while Sora's fine since people already recognize his outfit? We'll need to get you two more casual outfits like mine and Yuri's to avoid making the audience and most of the other Duelists realize we're connected." Serena explained, glancing at Sora.

"That's something I never thought would be part of a mission." Gloria remarked, noticing the oddity behind it.

"It will make more sense once you understand why the Obelisk Force and Ra Force are waiting back at Duel Academy." Yuri replied, smirking as he did.

Everyone listened as he explained their plan for the Battle Royale.

* * *

Back with Reiji, the shock on Yuto, Shun, Sawatari, and the LDS trio's faces finally began to lose the shock from hearing the Professor and Reiji's father were one in the same.

"You're battling against your father!?" Shun exclaimed.

"I am, and that's the reason why I didn't tell you his identity when we met face to face. At the time, due to your reasons for attacking those associated with LDS, there was no way for me to tell you this information without the risk of you believing I was helping him." Reiji confirmed.

Shun lowered his head as he heard that, knowing that's _exactly_ what he would have done. The fact that stung him even more when he realized that it would have also kept him from learning that Ruri had managed to escape from Duel Academy.

"Well, at least now I get why you're acting so careful with your plans and preparations against Duel Academy. You're basically playing a game of Chess with your father, and can't afford to rush any moves you make, or you risk losing." He realized.

Reiji nodded his head.

"Especially since, despite the good it indirectly brought to your dimension... I made a careless move right after he sent me home." Reiji confirmed, closing his eyes.

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Yaiba asked.

"I was young and naive, and believed that if _I_ couldn't make my father realize what he was doing was wrong, then a good friend of his might succeed where I had failed. That led me to ask none other than Yusho Sakaki for help, and right before... his match with Strong Ishijima." Reiji revealed.

Sawatari let out a surprised scream, while the LDS trio all let out gasps.

"Then... the reason Yusho didn't show up for his match against Strong Ishijima was-" Masumi realized, her eyes shaking slightly.

"Because I sent him there, and... he didn't come back. When I spoke with him, it was a week before the match, and I hoped that would be enough time for him to return. It wasn't, and soon after? I found myself unable to create a convincing cover story to explain his absence on the day of the match. A mistake I intend to correct if we succeed in stopping Duel Academy's invasion." Reiji confirmed.

"No wonder you yelled at me and Hokuto for talking bad about him." Yaiba realized, now regretting his words.

"Sorry about that." Hokuto apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Right now, what's important is making sure we stop this invasion. Not just to protect this Dimension, but to know which Duelists have the means to end Duel Academy's threat once and for all." Reiji replied.

His staff quickly revealed a symbol showing a Knight with a lance on it, getting everyone's attention.

"What's that?" Yuto asked.

"The symbol for a group I'm forming to fight against Duel Academy, a group known as the Lance Defense Soldiers, or Lancers for short. In a sense, this Battle Royale serves as my way of knowing which Duelists will have the skills to defeat my father." Reiji revealed.

He gave a confident smile.

"As much as my father believes I can't stop him? Back then, Pendulum Summoning didn't exist, and even my father doesn't have the means to create cards that counter them this early after their discovery. As such, there's no better time to create my Lancers than now." He continued.

"Let me guess, you want us to be part of these Lancers ourselves?" Sawatari assumed.

"I do, but you need to prove you have the skills, which is why I chose to make you part of the Battle Royale." Reiji answered.

He soon reached into his pocket.

"And it's why I've created these." He revealed, holding out six cards to the LDS trio.

It was a pair of Pendulum Monsters for the Gem-Knights, X-Saber, and Sacred archetypes.

"Alright!" Yaiba shouted as they received their new cards.

"So, I'm guessing you also want me and Yuto to use Pendulum Cards that you've made for us?" Shun assumed, recalling how Nakajima offered him a deck based on Pendulum Monsters that he refused to use.

Reiji said nothing for a moment, then adjusted his glasses.

"Actually, about that. When you dueled against Sora, you showed us a technique that not even I knew about Xyz Summoning, which has led me to consider something. That very something is why I said Yuri couldn't have used a Synchro Monster against Yuto." He answered.

Shun raised an eye, while Yuto just looked confused.

"It would be easier for you to see it than for me to explain it, so try playing this Synchro Monster on your Duel Disk." Reiji continued, tossing him a card.

Yuto watched as Shun caught it, and then formed his Duel Disk to play it.

Everyone waited for the Monster's hologram to appear... but it never did.

"Based on what you just said, I'm guessing that the problem has nothing to do with my Duel Disk?" Shun assumed, looking at him.

"It doesn't." Reiji confirmed.

"Then why couldn't Shun play that Synchro Monster?" Yaiba questioned.

"Because he's a Duelist from the Xyz Dimension." Reiji answered, closing his eyes.

Everyone was confused by that answer.

"Whenever someone summons a Fusion, an Xyz, a Synchro, or a Pendulum Monster? My staff monitors the energy level it creates. People from Standard leave low readings for the first three, while Shun and Sora both create powerful Xyz and Fusion energy. I never understood why this was the case... until Shun used his Rank-Up Magic, that is." Reiji explained.

"Basically, we can use every Summoning method, but only in their basic forms? While those from the other dimensions can only use the summon their dimension is named after, but as a result, have access to methods that we can't use ourselves?" Sawatari asked.

"Precisely, which means Shun can't use Pendulum Monsters, and by extension... neither can Duel Academy." Reiji smiled.

It didn't take long for everyone to realize what that meant.

"So, not only do they not have access to any cards that can directly counter Pendulum Monsters, but they can't even use them against us!" Masumi realized.

"That's right. So, do all six of you believe you're prepared for this?" Reiji replied.

From where they were hiding, the seventh Duelist smiled before leaving the room.

* * *

Morning quickly came to the people of Maiami City, who were still unaware of what would be coming, and that LDS hoped would stay as such until Duel Academy's invasion was over.

The scene opened to Yuya's house, where the Entertainment Duelist was shown to still be asleep in his bed. This eventually prompted a familiar card in his deck to glow red.

 _"Yuya, wake up!"_ Odd-Eyes shouted.

"Ah!" He shouted, tumbling out of bed.

His Dragon's spirit watched him hit the ground before he rubbed his back.

"What was that for!?" Yuya questioned.

 _"It was for waking you up early, which if I recall, you asked me to do last night because you wanted extra time to prepare for today's Battle Royale."_ Odd-Eyes reminded him.

"Oh... that's right." Yuya remembered, blushing in embarrassment.

He quickly began getting dressed as his Dragon understandably did nothing besides watch, being a mere Duel Spirit without Real Solid Vision to give him a body.

"Yuya, are you awake?" Yoko called.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Yuya asked.

"Because a package just came for you!" Yoko answered.

This surprised Yuya.

"A package? I don't remember ordering anything." He said to himself.

Grabbing his Deck and his Duel Disk, he slid down the pole, where all three of the dogs and cats were already eating from their two shared bowls and his mother was cooking his usual pancake breakfast.

"Where's the package?" Yuya asked.

"I left it on the couch." Yoko replied.

Yuya turned to see a medium-sized box and walked up to it, looking around to see who sent it. To his surprise, it was from Yuto.

"Yuto sent me this? I wonder what it could be?" He thought aloud.

He then opened the box, revealing a pair of strange red shoes... or were they boots? He honestly couldn't tell. Luckily, there was a note in the box, which Yuya began reading.

"Yuya, these boots are an invention made by a friend of mine and Shun's from back home. I hope they help you during the Battle Royale." Yuya said as he read the note.

Seeing the note say to flip it around, Yuya did just that.

"These shoes use Solid Mass to generate wheels from the extensions on the sides, so they work just like Roller Blades, except the wheels are like car wheels. If you want them start moving, you need to think they're moving. Also, they can ride up walls without you falling off, so be careful if you're not trying to ride on any walls." He continued.

Yuya felt himself pale at the thought of falling off a wall or something similar, letting out an awkward laugh.

"Is it strange that I can actually think of why someone would need to ride up a wall?" He nervously asked himself.

He left the Roller Boots at the front door, and after eating all of his pancakes, chose to put them on instead of his usual shoes. However, when he tried to use them?

"Whoa!" He screamed.

Yuya suddenly felt himself being propelled forward by the wheels, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

"Hope I can figure these out by the time I make it to the stadium!" Yuya panicked, only standing on one foot.

Odd-Eyes did his best not to laugh at Yuya's plight.

* * *

The scene opens to the playground, where a sleeping Ruri was seen. As the sunlight began peeking through a gap in the plastic climbing dome, it brushed her eyes, causing her to open them and stretch her arms out.

"Who knew that sleeping in a place like this could be so comfortable?" She asked herself.

She poked her head out to make sure that no one from Duel Academy was nearby to spot her, and once she realized it was safe, fully left the dome. Once Ruri was outside, she got a good look at the stadium.

"I'm not sure if I can get in the stadium, so I may need to find someone who can pass a message to Shun or Yuto for me." Ruri said to herself, figuring out what she could do.

As she was thinking about what to do, Ruri noticed her Duel Disk receive a message.

She looked at it in surprise.

"Is it that mole from Duel Academy?" Ruri wondered, opening it.

The message appeared on screen, but its contents surprised her.

"Eh!?" She exclaimed.

It showed her details in a tournament registration, namely the Battle Royale that was about to happen, along with both Shun and Yuto's own tournament registrations.

"But I never signed up for... wait." Ruri questioned.

Ruri thought back to the message she received from mysterious rescuer, who knew that her comrades were in the Pendulum Dimension.

"Is it possible that they told them I was here and invited me to this tournament so I'd know where to find them?" She wondered, not even realizing what it meant for Yuto.

However, a few seconds after asking herself that? That fact finally hit her.

"Wait, if Yuto's in this tournament, then... that means-" Ruri realized.

She thought back to when she saw the vision of Dark Rebellion falling on him, and him apologizing to her. It wasn't long before she covered her mouth and cried tears of joy.

"I knew it, you're OK!" Ruri sniffled.

Having been motivated by the good news, Ruri prepared to run towards the stadium... only for her stomach to growl, making her blush as she held it.

"No, don't think about food right now. Especially since you can't pay for it." She told herself.

She began walking to the stadium, not wanting her hunger to get any worse from running.

* * *

Around the area they had stopped at to see Winter Bell during the time it briefly glowed, Yugo and Rin could be seen sleeping on a bench, with the latter resting her head on Yugo's lap like a pillow.

The letter on their Duel Runner had still been untouched, as they had had chosen to fall asleep when it was clear both of them were running on fumes, and using the nearby bench they found as a makeshift bed.

"Yeah, I'm the new King of the City..." Yugo tired mumbled, his head resting against the bench's top.

"Mhm..." Rin mumbled in her sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open, and then closed briefly as she let out a loud yawn, causing Yugo to briefly snort as he felt himself wake up from the sound.

"Huh? What? Is it morning?" he mumbled tiredly.

She slapped her cheeks to fully wake up, then grabbed Yugo's hands to help him do the same.

"I'm awake!" He screamed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, that was a mistake..." Rin whispered, rubbing her ears.

Taking a moment to remember what they were doing before they fell asleep; Rin recalled their plan to visit the stadium before the situation with her Winter Bell happened.

"Come on, we need to get to the stadium before anyone from Duel Academy arrives. If we're lucky, Ruri might be there as well." Rin reminded him.

"Oh yeah, let's get... huh?" Yugo replied.

Rin looked confused, but then noticed where Yugo was looking, causing them to see the letter that was left on their Duel Runner last night.

"A letter?" Rin said.

She walked over to their Duel Runner and picked it up, then opened it to see the letter's contents. Once she did, her eyes widened.

"Yugo... this is an invitation to whatever event's happening at that stadium right now." Rin revealed, looking at him.

"We're invited? But how? No one in this dimension should know who we are, and I doubt there's anyone mistaking us for our Pendulum counterparts when we could clearly see yours having a duel the other day." Yugo questioned.

"That's probably the most surprising part... this letter mentions us as Duelists from the Synchro Dimension, and claims they want us there to stop Duel Academy's invasion, which is happening today!" Rin continued, turning the letter around for him to see.

Yugo's eyes widened before he read the entire letter himself. After he did, Yugo made a shocked expression as he realized it was all true.

"How do they know about the invasion?" Yugo questioned.

"I don't know, but it sounds like this tournament is being held to gather this dimension's best Duelists in one place to fight them off. If they're going to come after me... then the stadium might be the safest place for us to be." Rin answered.

Yugo thought about it for a moment, and realized that she was probably right.

"Yeah, and it might be the only way to solve another problem of ours." He agreed.

"What problem is that?" Rin asked.

"Getting food." Yugo answered.

Rin blushed in embarrassment, realizing that they didn't have any money.

"Let's get going then." Rin decided.

With that, they got on their Duel Runner and began driving towards the stadium.

* * *

After a long wait, and Reiji finishing his final preparations... the time had come.

Hundreds of fans were seen in the stadium, already cheering despite the duels hadn't even started yet, with all of the Duelists in the Top 16 and the 8 who had been given a second chance (minus Shun and Sora) standing in the middle of the Duel Arena.

The other 40 who had qualified for the Maiami Championship after it began were nowhere to be seen, though it was implied that LDS was intentionally hiding their identities.

"We're finally here with the amazing Battle Royale that everyone's been itching to see since yesterday's announcement! The stadium filled up almost instantly, and there's been cheer sections set up for various schools like You Show and LDS, or even just a single Duelist like Michio and his deck of tasty treats. So, go ahead and start us off Nico!" joy announced from the crowd.

"Thank you Joy, and thanks to the audience for surviving the long wait!" Nico replied from the field.

The screen revealed he was standing in front of the 22 Duelists among the 24 known. In response, the various cheer squads began to cheer, with You Show's group being easily seen from where they were sitting, now rejoined by their students who had been absent the day before as a result of seeing the ugly result of Sora and Shun's duel.

"As all of you already know, today we are having what's called a Battle Royale! However, we have some news to reveal alongside it! So, to start this off? For everyone who's been asking what a Battle Royale is..." Nico continued.

He paused as a drum roll was played for dramatic effect, leaving everyone tense as they waited for his answer.

"It's a free for all where anyone can fight anyone! For each Duelist, the other 63 are their enemies!" He revealed.

The crowd gasped, as did the Duelists standing behind Nico.

"Yes, you heard me right! This is a style of dueling where up to 8 Duelists can either face each other one on one, or if they choose to do so, team up in a Tag Duel, regardless if they're also in a Tag Team, alone, or even a combination of both!" Nico confirmed.

The crowd was still silent, but their faces all showed how excited they were despite their inability to vocalize it.

"Even better? Their battlefield will be none other than... the entire city itself!

With those words, everyone let out a united gasp, unable to believe what they just heard.

* * *

At the same time, Reiji and Himika were looking at the stadium from the former's office. Standing behind him were the 8 Duelists who remained in the Senior Division, now aware of the truth behind the Battle Royale.

"The invasion could happen at any time, and I'm certain that any one of the 5 Duelists allied with Duel Academy will give the signal. There's also no guarantee that all, or even any of you, may avoid being carded in this battle. Despite that, will you still duel for the sake of making sure we keep Yuzu and her counterparts safe?" Reiji asked.

"Yes sir!" They replied.

Nodding his head, they were all dismissed as they began heading towards the waiting area that had been set in the city.

"Reiji, I want your honest opinion... how bad do you think our loses will be?" Himika asked, a worried expression on her face.

"I don't know... and that's what scares me most. While Pendulum Summoning may be our best weapon against father's forces, it still hasn't been used in a true battle against his Duel Soldiers." Reiji admitted.

Loses were going to occur, and that was an undeniable fact. The only thing that truly mattered was if they had the strength to stop this invasion before it became a war.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time as Reiji's talk with the Senior League and his mother occurred, Nico was explaining how the Battle Royale had been set up for deciding the 8 who would advance to the Quarterfinals.

"Here's how everything will work. Rather than taking out Duelists until only 8 remain, since then we'd see too many Duelists hiding, you will be collecting special Action Cards known as Pendulum Statues over a 24-hour period. You need at least two to duel, cannot use them in your decks, and must ante at least one of them during a duel. The eight Duelists who have the most by the end will advance to the Quarterfinals!" Nice revealed.

The competitors all gasped upon hearing that.

"Whoa... that means if you don't duel, and you can't win the duels you have..." Yuya realized.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, must applaud just how grand of an event this is." Gongenzaka praised.

After giving a minute for everyone to settle down, Nico continued.

"Now, for how the duels themselves will work? Here are some details specific to the Battle Royale itself. If one or more players from two different duels make contact, then those duels will merge. If both duels are single duels, they will become a Tag Duel, with the teams chosen based on which Duelists made contact at the time." He revealed.

He pointed to the screen, showing four smiley face symbols to show this in a visual manner.

"It's also possible for a Duelist who isn't dueling anyone to insert themselves into another duel, but be careful, because this will give you an intrusion penalty that will make your starting Life Points be 2000 instead of the usual 4000 to keep things fair." Nico continued.

This time, one of the smiley face symbols changed into a panicked face symbol, having the number 2000 beside it while the other three had a 4000 beside them.

"Finally, it's time for the biggest announcement, which is that as of this Battle Royale... the Real Solid Vision has been upgraded to the next level!" Nico announced.

"Upgraded!?" Yuya shouted in surprise.

The crowd all looked shocked at those words.

"To begin this grand announcement, the first thing you need to know is that the Real Solid Vision system has now been upgraded into the Augmented Reality Combat System, or ARC System for short! Second, this change gives the Monsters themselves more Action in an Action Duels... by giving them ability to dodge attacks!" Nico revealed.

Snapping his fingers, the screen showed how Rise Falcon dodged Wheel Saw Leo's attacks in the duel between Shun and Sora, managing to evade for a good amount of time before Shun grabbed an Action Card to officially stop it.

"After seeing this sight during Sora and Shun's duel during the first round of duels, LDS realized that Action Duels have focused more on Spell and Trap cards through Action Cards, and decided to fix this by allowing Monsters a small window to evade attacks. How this works is when within a certain range, a Monster can try and dodge, and if they succeed? It will be like using Evasion, but if the attack's shock wave still hits? It will instead be like using Miracle, and the Duelist will take half the damage." Nico explained.

He then remembered something.

"Also, since I just mentioned them? Duelists can still use Evasion and Miracle, but to shake things up? They can now only be used when the Duelist holding them is the who's _attacking_." He added, showing both cards on the screen.

Everyone in the crowd began to murmur to one another, realizing these were big changes that could heavily influence the duels in the Battle Royale.

"Since some of you may ask this? To avoid giving Monsters who can Fly too big of an advantage, whenever a Duel begins, square platforms we've dubbed _Crossover Steps_ will form around the area. These will let Duelist and Monster alike be able to attack anywhere and everywhere without issue. You can also find Action Cards on them." Nico added.

"Wow... no wonder this Battle Royale was built up like it was." Yuya remarked.

At that moment, the screen showed pictures of all 64 Duelists, with 40 of them having black silhouettes hide their faces.

Upon seeing the images... Yuya and Yuzu gasped as they noticed one of the silhouetted pictures heavily resembled Yuya.

"Isn't that..." Yuya asked.

"Yuto?" Yuzu said in shock.

"Now, for the last detail before we finally begin this epic event? The other 40 Duelists, not counting Sora and Shun's absence, which is likely because the two don't want to talk to or be near each other until the duels begin... are already out in the city! As they appear, those of you in the audience will see their pictures reveal themselves on your Duel Disks, meaning they could be _anyone_!" Nico continued, finishing the last leg of his explanation.

A minute passed after this, and then... the crowd began to clap and cheer, finally feeling the excitement of the event hit them all at once.

"Listen to those cheers! If you're already this excited, then let's not keep you waiting! Time to bring out the Action Field we made just for this event, Wonder Quartet!" Nico announced, holding his free hand into the air.

The 40 mystery Duelists began to see parts of the city slide open as they revealed pink energy domes, which began generating an Action Field that turned most of Maiami City in a mixture of a tundra, a volcanic area, a jungle with a river, and stone ruins.

"W-What's going on? Why did the city suddenly change!?" Ruri fearfully asked, having ended up in the Volcano section.

She quickly moved away from the lava flow.

* * *

In the Jungle section, while riding their Duel Runner, a look of shock hit Yugo and Rin's faces.

"This is new." Yugo remarked.

"From what I can tell, they use this ARC System to make fields as real as the Monsters, though it doesn't look like it's a Field Spell either." Rin guessed.

She touched part of a nearby tree, noticing it felt real.

"Imagine if they used this in the Friendship Cup." She continued.

Hearing that caused Yugo to go unusually quiet, and it didn't take long before Rin to notice he didn't reply to her like she expected.

"Yugo, are you OK?" She asked.

"We'll make it back, and once we do? We'll change the city, like we should have back then. That's a promise." He quietly replied.

Hearing that, Rin smiled as her eyes got a bit misty.

'Even in a situation like this, you still care about our promise. Though... that's exactly what I love about you.' Rin though, blushing a little.

Once that thought finished, Rin put all her focus on the coming duels, and eventual invasion of Duel Academy that they would soon face.

* * *

A timer soon appeared on the screen, showing the Battle Royale would begin in 2 minutes.

'This is it.' Yuya thought.

"Duelists... prepare your Duel Disks!" Nico announced.

Across the city and in the stadium, everyone did just that.

"Now, since this event is happening all over the city, I'd like everyone the audience join me for the Action Duel chant!" Nico requested.

The audience showed excited at those words.

"Good, because here we go!" He cheered.

 _"The Duelists, at this place of battle, shall kick their way across the earth and fly across the air on this Field with their Monsters! Fix your eyes upon the ultimate evolution of dueling!"_ Everyone announced.

Snapping his fingers, a sphere containing the Pendulum Statues burst apart, scattering them across the city.

**"ACTION DUEL!"**

With those words, the timer hit zero, letting out a loud buzzer as the Duelists in the stadium began running. Once they left the stadium, the timer reset, counting down from 24 hours.

* * *

The scene opened to the Iceberg Zone, which Yuya and Yuzu had decided to enter first.

Luckily for them, their choice had worked in their favor, as both of them had already managed to find a pair of Pendulum Statues in the snow.

"Glad to see our gut feelings were right." Yuzu smiled.

"I wonder if anyone else has found their Pendulum Statues yet?" Yuya remarked, brushing some snow off his.

As if to answer his question, a familiar laugh entered Yuya and Yuzu's ears, immediately getting their attention.

"That's good!"

Dropping from one of the larger icicles, the aces of You Show found themselves face to face with none other than Kachidoki, with Yuya's expression turning serious as he realized what was about to happen.

"Now that you have your Pendulum Statues, there's nothing to stop me from pulling you into the darkness!" Kachidoki announced, revealing his own Pendulum Statues.

"Fine! Then get ready to-" Yuzu stated.

"No Yuzu, this is my duel." Yuya interjected.

She looked at him in surprise.

"But Yuya, you don't have to duel him alone!" Yuzu replied.

"Except I do. Last time we dueled, I couldn't reach him, which is why this is a duel I need to win by myself." He replied, keeping his gaze locked on Kachidoki's.

Yuzu gasped as she remembered the words he wrote to her last night, and then smiled as she lowered her Duel Disk.

"Alright, just promise me you'll be careful, OK?" Yuzu requested.

"Of course, same to you." Yuya promised, smiling at her.

She smiled back before running off, with Yuya and Kachidoki readying their Duel Disks.

"It looks like our first duel is an exciting rematch between Yuya and Kachidoki! However, unlike when they last dueled? Kachidoki is now battling as an independent Duelist!" Nico announced.

As they stared at one another, Yuya took a deep breath.

"I'm not sure why you're so insistent about dragging me into the darkness, but I won't let myself fall in!" He stated.

"Survive long enough against me in our duel, and I might just tell you!" Kachidoki replied.

Both of them jumped back, seeing the Crossover Steps make their debut, with Action Cards randomly materializing across the area around them.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

Yuya and Kachidoki drew their starting hands, officially beginning their rematch.

* * *

Around the same time, in the Ruins Zone, the sight of Sawatari nearly falling was seen as he just barely managed to grab his second Pendulum Statue.

"How did I think this would be a good idea!?" He questioned.

"Because you are a duelist who can't use his head!" Someone declared.

Sawatari was so surprised by those words that he fell a few feet, letting out a pained shout as he hit the ground. Once he managed to regain his bearings, he looked to the source of the voice to show a teenage boy with short black hair that had a gold strand, and said strand was somehow able to resemble a Q in shape.

"And distracting someone who's about to fall _is_!?" He countered.

The boy chuckled in response, holding out his two Pendulum Statues.

"It is if you're trying to make sure your opponent is cornered into a duel! That is, unless you're too chicken to duel me!" The boy replied, baiting him into accepting.

"Oh, no need to put me into that kind of position. I'll take any Duelist head on! So, whoever you are? Prepare to duel!" Sawatari announced with complete confidence.

The boy chuckled a bit.

"My name is Eita Kyuando, and prepare to lose to my high intellect!" Eita declared, readying his Duel Disk.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

Both drew their first hands, with Eita still holding a cocky smile and Sawatari's expression turning serious.

* * *

Going back to the Iceberg Zone, the scene opened to Yuzu as she tried to find any nearby Duelists.

"Maybe I need to try a different field?" She thought aloud.

"Yuzu Hiragi! We meet in this icy tundra, just as I predicted!" A familiar female voice announced.

Hearing that, Yuzu froze up as she realized who it was.

"No, it can't be..." She groaned, hoping she was wrong.

Turning around, Yuzu saw Mieru sitting on a nearby rooftop with her Crystal Apple in hand.

"Yet it is, and I have come to duel you for one reason alone!" Mieru declared, pointing at her.

She jumped onto the ground, and then gained an angry expression on her face as her pointing finger shook with the same anger.

"Because I won't let you keep flirting with my Darling anymore!" Mieru announced.

Yuzu's face turned red as a blush fully covered it, which caused her to sputter slightly.

"Me? You're the one who keeps flirting with him!" Yuzu retorted.

"Don't turn this on me! Yuya is my fated person, so I won't let you have him!" Mieru countered.

"OK, that's it! Get ready to duel me!" Yuzu shouted.

Both of them readied their Duel Disks.

**"LET'S DUEL!"**

With those words, the two apparent rivals in love began their long-awaited duel.

* * *

At the same time, Yuto was in the Lava Zone, and just found his second Pendulum Statue.

"Now I'll be able to help Ruri if she gets caught in a duel." Yuto said to himself, pocketing it.

"Found you, Yuya!"

He turned around as he saw a pair of Duelists wearing clothes like Kachidoki, revealing them as the remaining two Duelists from Ryozanpaku, both of which stared at him with a sinister look in their eyes.

Considering they believed he was Yuya? It wasn't hard for him to realize why they had such a look.

"Let me guess... since Kachidoki was expelled from your school, you want revenge on me for leaving the two of you as the last hope for your Duel School's survival, right?" Yuto inquired.

The one wearing a hat, Takeda, snickered in response.

"That's right! We, the remaining pride of Ryozanpaku, shall be your opponents!" Takeda confirmed, readying his Duel Disk.

"The two of us will take advantage of the Battle Royale's rules to humiliate you!" Said his fellow student, known as Umesagi.

Yuto hated how the students of Ryozanpaku dueled, so this opportunity was perfect.

"I accept your challenge, so you better not run away, and I'll ante both my Pendulum Statues for this duel. Are you brave enough to do the same?" Yuto replied.

Umesagi and Takeda revealed their Pendulum Statue cards.

"Sure thing! After all, it will be fun to make you start over from scratch!" Takeda accepted.

"Now, are you ready to lose, Yuya!?" Umesagi inquired.

"I'm ready to duel alright! Unfortunately, there's one thing you're mistaken about." Yuto replied.

As he finally turned around to show his face, Takeda and Umesagi's eyes widened in surprise.

"My name is Yuto."

With those words, the first of the Battle Royale's many surprises was revealed to the audience.

The question now was how they'd react to it?

* * *

**Even though there weren't any duels in this chapter? Next chapter will open with four different duels, and with the exception of Yuto's (since his duel is just Yuto dueling in Yuya's place against Takeda and Umesagi), they will _all_ be fully shown! Not only that, but the moment with Yugo and Rin in the Jungle Zone was the last scene I needed to show before I could make their "Bonds of Four Worlds" chapter, so that's also on its way!**

**Reiji finally gave away some pretty big details, and with them came the reveal that Duelists from each dimension have certain limits on the cards they can use, a choice I made to not have Pendulum Monsters be the sole focus. I decided on this since each counterpart is a prominent character, and because Shun only Pendulum Summoned once.**

**Duel Academy is also starting to make their move, with Sora having returned, and the Tyler Sisters joining him. Also, in case the chapter didn't make it clear enough? Yuri and Serena are good friends with all three of them. I should also cover that, unlike GX, the color system is flipped around for reasons yet to be revealed, so Osiris Red (which Yuri and Serena are) is the highest rank, mainly because all of Serena's clothes are red.**

**This is also the reason I made the Tyler Sisters into Ra Yellow students, since Yuri and Serena are better Duelists than they are, yet they rank higher than Sora because of their strategies. As for Yuri's purple outfit? He's only wears it because Leo wants to make him look like the strongest among the students, which he isn't in this story.**

**Finally, I hope you all like the alterations I made to Action Duels, which was done to help remove some of the areas I, and other fans didn't like about how they worked in canon. This removes the common use of Evasion or Miracle with an alternative that relies on skill over luck. There are also actual reasons for it in-story as well, since Reiji created these changes to make Sora's knowledge of Action Duels become less reliable.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the part of Ch 6 that I did write, and everything that would have happened if this story wasn't discontinued.**

**There will be one more Chapter, which will include a few scenes I wanted to write, and details on a few self-made cards of mien that would have been important to the story, so keep an eye out for it.**

* * *

**[Chapter 6 - Battle Royale: Opening Stage, Part 1]**

Saying the audience felt like they were high on something would be a fairly accurate way to describe the scene in front of everyone, as they were all still taking in the shock of seeing Yuto and recognizing he looked just like Yuya.

"H-Hey, what's going on here? Why is there someone that looks like Yuya!?" Shuzo questioned.

"I couldn't tell you." Yoko replied, making sure not to give away she had already met him.

Futoshi then remembered something.

"Wait, didn't Yuzu mention something like this before?" He asked.

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"I can't put my finger on it, but I'm sure she said something... and not knowing what is giving me the shivers!" Futoshi continued.

Meanwhile in the Lava Zone, both Umesagi and Takeda were still looking at Yuto.

"What's going on? Why do you look just like Yuya?" Umesagi asked, still shocked.

"That's not important. Right now, this duel is!" Yuto answered.

He activated his Duel Disk, and both Umesagi and Takeda did the same as their 2 vs 1 duel began.

* * *

_The duels that prepared to begin in the previous chapter all happen. Yuya and Kachidoki's rematch goes like it does their Fusion Dimension duel from canon, and Yuto wins in the same way as Yuya after he's joined by Dennis, whose surprised to see he's in the Pendulum Dimension to begin with._

_During Yuzu's duel, she has to deal with Mieru's jealousy, but they end the duel on cordial terms after Mieru learns what her mentor meant about Yuya defying fate, and realizing Yuzu is the same, along with having stronger feelings for him. Sawatari is initially pummeled by Eita in the same was Yuya is, but quickly turns it around. After the duels are done, Dennis explains why he's here and Yuto learns he was the reason Ruri got caught, mistaking Yuri for him, and likely making Ruri believe he's a mole. (A/N: He isn't one in this story)_

_They split up to find her, and the duels continue aside from some changes, but Ruri takes Yuzu's place in the duel with Dennis, and she reacts just as he expected. However, the combination of him saving her instead of making a winning move and Serena attacking him while he's open proves to her he's not with Duel Academy at all. Worse is despite what Reiji planned against it? Serena and Yuri prevent him from hiding the truth, so everyone sees what's really happening, and forcing Himika to do damage control as everyone tries to hold off them, the Tyler sisters, Sora, and the both the Obelisk and Ra Forces' invasion._

_During the many duels, the carded victims end up being comprised of all the unnamed duelists, Eita, Halil, Olga, Takeda, Umesagi, Ashley, Bram, and Carl._

_Worse is that Ruri finally manages to reunite with Yuto, but just as they make it to Shun... he loses to Sora and gets carded. This gets even worse when his card, and the cards of Yuto's parents, along with Ruri and Shun's parents, all just disappear in a way similar to Barrett's, despite they hadn't been ripped. This leaves Ruri in tears as he only had time to give him Rise Falcon before being carded. Sora feels some guilt from this at first... though holds it back._

_The Tyler sisters soon have a duel with Yuya and Yuto, but they lose when the former uses an Overscale Pendulum to summon "Rainbow-Eyes Pendulum Dragon", whose attack multiplier combined with Miracle Rocket Show and Dark Rebellion defeat them._

_Soon after, Yuri and Serena's status as being controlled by Parasites is learned by the Tyler Sisters and Sora, helping them discover how far Duel Academy will really go, making them fight on the side of the Pendulum Dimension's duelists against the last of the Obelisk and Ra Forces; at the same time, Yuya joins Yuyo and Yugo in a duel with Yuri, while Yuzu teams up with Rin and Ruri in a duel with Serena, both of them having the goal of freeing them from their respective Parasites._

_While they fight against nearly impossible odds due to the Parasite monsters being almost cheating? The 3 on 1 odds for both duels help keep things even, but something strange happens once all of their ace monsters are summoned, with the Obelisk Force and Ra Force suddenly speaking like possessed, with all 8 counterparts feeling pain as the sky turns dark, showing it swirl with red, green, blue, yellow, and purple fog... with the two Forces speaking about a Resurrection of some kind._

_However, before it can end up as anything dangerous? A glowing figure appears by Yuya and Yuzu, revealing Ray and Yushi (A/N: Zarc's human form) to defend them, and causing Duel Monsters to evolve as Pendulum Monster cards turn full red and Ritual Monsters become Extra Deck monsters._

_This allows the two to summon "Trickstar Nebulous Lycoris" and "Life Force Ritual Dragon" (A/N: Think the Zarc Dragon if smaller, mainly blue with yellow accents, and no arms), right before they steal their respective Fusion counterparts' monsters, allowing them to use the power of all 5 monsters to win the duel and free them. This repels the Fusion Dimension's invasion, and leads to Reiji revealing everything as they prepare the Lancers._

_Various things are learned, especially from Ray and Yushi, as they share the story of the Demon who ended the world... Zarc. (A/N: The actual monster, but as a full demon instead of a demon Dragon)_

_Ruri and Yuto find out their parents were just deceased friends of theirs that, when the Dimensions split, were made their parents to protect them. Shun was a similar case, but was the only duelist who helped Ray and Yushi learn Zarc could lose a duel before they challenged him. The dimensions themselves split when Zarc cheated in a duel to stop En Flowers, which was meant to contain the energy of Ritual Monsters, and split everything apart._

_Yuya, Yuzu, and their counterparts then learn they were born as a result of Ray and Yushi losing all but their Ritual energy, though aren't pieces of them, and are their own people. Once that's all done, Reiji finishes preparations and sets up a duel for Yuya and Yuzu to prove if Pendulum Monsters are ready to win the war. After learning their stories, the other counterparts are adopted by Yoko for Yuya's, and Shuzo and Rinko for Yuzu's._

_Said duels have Reiji duel Yuya, and Rinko duel Yuzu, with both evolving their extra deck monsters to win. After that, the Lancers split up to go to each Dimension at once, since speed is imperative._

_Yuya and Yuzu join Yuto and Ruri in the Xyz Dimension, helping the Resistance take back Heartland and learning just how much of its people have been carded. In the Synchro Dimension, Reiji and Reira help Yugo and Rin win the Fortune Cup, but Roget's final act captures most of the Dimension's people into cards before he flees. While in the Fusion Dimension, the LDS trio helps Yuri and Serena as the two find Yusho, and then ready to attack Duel Acadaemy._

_Once they find Leo, they find a horrible truth... Leo Akaba died after giving Ray the Nature Cards, and that Zarc took his body to set up everything that's happened to revive his true form. Despite their best efforts? The Lancers fail to stop his ressurection, and the Ritual Ruins is born, based on the Ritual energy he stole reviving a nearly destroyed Original Dimension in the center of the other four, but also restoring Ray and Yushi's body._

_All the counterparts and the Lancers join to finish Zarc once in for all, with the former going for him as the latter duel his "Supreme Demon" monsters. While they duel Zarc, each pair of counterparts fights them one by one until Yuya and Yuzu manage to create the means to defeat him using the Nature Cards and Dimension Dragons to create the "United Light Integration Dragon" and finish him. This causes Zarc to die off for good, and merge the Five Dimensions into one._

_With the war over, the Maiami Championship is restarted with the people of each dimension joining for the first big competition of the ARC-V dimension._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some aspects in the story were based on Yugioh VRAINS and 7s.
> 
> VRAINS - The evolved Ritual Monsters were made to be like LINK monsters, which are the card type I have the hardest time understanding due to how much they changed the game.
> 
> 7s - Rainbow-Eyes was based on Seven Road Magician.


	7. Chapter 7

**These are all of the scenes I mentioned last chapter, so I hope you enjoy them.**

**Any cards you see here or in the previous chapters of this story and the chapters of "Bonds of Four Worlds" or "Before the Four Worlds" can be used, but you need to ask me for permission first and make sure to properly credit me.**

**So, without further ado? Here are the scenes!**

* * *

**[Chapter 7 - Extra]**

_**~ Scene 1:** Inherited Wings_

Ruri panted heavily as she prepared to draw her next card, all while Parasite-Serena stared at her with a mocking smirk.

'Shun... what can I do? Yuzu and Rin are counting on me to win this duel, but I...' She thought, almost hesitating to draw.

_"You can do it, Ruri."_

Her eyes widened as she heard that voice, recognizing it as her brother's.

_"No matter what, and from now on, I will always be by yours side."_

Hearing his words of encouragement was just what she needed, allowing Ruri to restore her grip on her next card.

"My turn, draw!" She shouted.

Once she saw the card she drew, Ruri's eyes widened.

'This is...' Ruri thought, having an idea what it meant.

She wasted no time and played it.

"I play the Spell card, Transcendent Xyz!" Ruri shouted.

Parasite-Serena's eyes widened at that card's name.

_**Transcendent Xyz (Normal Spell)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**Target one Xyz Monster on your side of the field, then roll a dice. You can summon an Xyz Monster, with all its summoning conditions treated, with a higher or lower rank than that monster within the range of the rolled number and add the targeted Monster to it as an Xyz material. If this card and an Xyz Monster are in the graveyard, you can banish that Xyz Monster to add this card to your hand. You can only activate one Transcendent Xyz per turn.** _

Yuzu and Rin showed similar surprise at that card's name.

'How can she have an Xyz version of my Transcendental Fusion card!?' Parasite-Serena thought.

"I use it to target my Recite Starling, and now I roll a dice." Ruri continued, holding her hand out.

The dice formed as she caught it.

With a mighty swing, she threw it forward, and it landed on a 3.

"It's a 3, so now I can summon any Xyz Monster using Recite Starling as an Xyz Material, as long as its Rank is either up to three Ranks higher or lower than Recite Starling's." She revealed.

She opened her Extra Deck, and her eyes met a familiar card she had added to it. Taking it out, she hugged it close.

"Shun, please continue protecting me through this Monster." She begged.

Taking a deep breath, she raised the card into the air.

"I overlay my Recite Starling and all four of its overlay units!" Ruri announced, raising the card into the air.

The Xyz gate formed as Recite Starling was swallowed into it.

 _"Obscured Falcon with clipped wings, hear my song and rise from the ashes of defeat. Take flight once more and soar with me through the skies of victory!"_ Ruri chanted.

"Wait, that's-" Yuzu realized.

She played the card, and the Xyz Gate exploded.

**"XYZ SUMMON!"**

And with her call, a familiar mechanical falcon flew out, this time with five Overlay units.

"Come forth! Rank 4, Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon!" Ruri announced.

It gave its loud screech as it appeared on the field, with Shun's silhouette appearing on top of it for a second before disappearing.

This was Ruri's new strength. Her old Lyrical Luscinia deck, now combined with the power of her brother's Raid Raptors. 

* * *

_**~ Scene 2:** Summoning the Might of Ritual_

Yuya stared at his Extra Deck, then looked at the purple energy being's form, who nodded his head. At the same time, the yellow energy being nodded her head at Yuzu, who was looking at the new Monster she just drew.

"Alright, here goes..." Yuya whispered.

"Please let this work..." Yuzu begged.

Starting with the latter, she played the monster she just drew.

"I summon Trickstar Lycoris!" She shouted.

Rin and Ruri were confused by this as the black-haired girl appeared, while Parasite-Serena raised an eye.

"Trickstar? What kind of prank is this?" She demanded.

"This is no prank. Using this monster, I'm about to turn this game around..." Yuzu replied.

And then...

"Because I'm about to summon a Ritual Monster!" They said in unison.

Each of their counterparts, and the audience, gasped in surprise.

"Here goes." Yuya stated.

He rose revealed the Action Spell in his hand, while Yuzu revealed a Trap Card in the same manner.

"The summoning conditions are sending a Level 7 Dragon-type monster on my field and a Spell card from my hand to the graveyard!" Yuya declared.

"The summoning conditions are sending a Trickstar Lycoris on my field and a Trap card from my hand to the graveyard!" Yuzu shouted.

At that moment, a green and pink Alchemy circle appeared above their monsters.

"The Ritual circle has been formed!" They both exclaimed.

With those words, their monsters ran towards the circles before jumping inside, with the Spell and Trap card following to create a realm of yellow energy, with blue energy spheres gathering around their monsters.

 _"Miraculous stardust born of the world's creation, lend me your strength and create a new star that shines even brighter against the dark forces in my path."_ Yuzu chanted.

 _"Powerful life force hiding in the shadows, take form and wield the strength of your fallen comrades whose souls have joined with your own and cleanse the world of this evil plague!"_ Yuya chanted.

The yellow realm and blue energy spheres soon swapped colors as their monsters were swallowed into a sphere of yellow energy that was one the latter.

**"RITUAL SUMMON!"**

The spheres exploded as the Monsters inside took form, staring with Yuzu's.

"Dazzling starlight! Level 7, Trickstar Nebulous Lycoris!" Yuzu announced.

Trickstar popped out, now looking like a buxom adult with white hair and a whip made of solidified light, which she whipped as she flew out of the Alchemy circle. Once she did, it vanished into thin air.

_**Trickstar Nebulous Lycoris** _   
_**(LIGHT)** _

_**Level 7 - Ritual** _   
_**Fairy** _   
_**ATK: 2400 | DEF: 2000** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**When your opponent draws a card, or draws a card due to an effect (only top card if multiple) guess what type it is. If you guess right, then your opponent takes 300 points of damage for each card in their hand.** _

Parasite-Serena's eyes shook at that.

"You summoned a Ritual Monster without a Ritual Spell... and from your Extra Deck!?" She questioned.

Meanwhile, Yuya was about to finish his summon.

"Rise from the ashes! Level 7, Life Force Ritual Dragon!" Yuya announced.

A blue Dragon with yellow highlights soon broke out, having a very insect-like appearance in some areas, while also having no legs and its arms being like the pincers of a Praying Mantis.

_**Life Force Ritual Dragon** _   
_**(DARK)** _

_**Level 7 - Ritual** _   
_**Dragon**_   
_**ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000** _

_**(1 "Level 7 Monster" + 1 Spell card in your hand)** _

_**Effect:** _   
_**This card gains ATK equal to the Monster in your graveyard with the highest ATK. When this card attacks a monster, and deals damage to your opponent through battle, gain half of that Monster's DEF as life points.** _

It gave a powerful roar as it rushed out of the Ritual Space and landed near Clear Wing and Dark Rebellion, who let out powerful roars as it did the same.

"No way..." Yugo said in disbelief.

"A Ritual form of our Dragons..." Yuto remarked, amazed at the sight.

Yuri grunted at that, while Starve Venom began to roar, only his was in pain.

* * *

_**~ Scene 3:** The Full Power of Pendulum_

As he looked at his Graveyard, a powerful glow formed from Odd-Eyes, then looked at the four Dimension Dragons currently on his, Yugo's, and Yuto's shared field.

"I get it now... the power of Pendulum and my connection to it. Now that I do, it's time for me to manifest this power to the fullest!" Yuya realized, clenching his fists.

He then flashed a big smile.

"My turn, draw!" He shouted.

He looked at his card and then played it, causing a huge flash.

"I play Monster Reborn, and bring back my ace monster, but this time... he's going to debut under his true self and not the stage name he's been using!" Yuya shouted.

"What are you talking about!?" Parasite-Yuri questioned.

As he said this, a sound reached his ears as he saw Parasite King shaking as if it were afraid.

"Parasite King?' He said with worry.

The light of Monster Reborn pulled the familiar Red Dragon into view, but this time his shape changed as his card and all others began to glow. As a result, the Pendulum Monster cards turned a fierce red color.

Once its silhouette appeared, it was something more like its Rune-Eyes form, yet it was also closer to his fellow Dimension Dragons' similar appearance.

 _"Magical Dragon whose eyes radiate the light of tomorrow, swing your pendulous power and create the ether that will save the future!"_ Yuya chanted.

The light appeared as his Dragon's body glowed with red energy.

"Now shine! Level 7, Arc-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Yuya announced.

Odd-Eyes, now known as Arc-Eyes, stopped glowing and revealed its full powered form as it roared alongside its fellow Dragons, creating a harmonious echo that shattered the glowing sky.

_**Arc-Eyes Pendulum Dragon** _   
_**(DARK)** _

_**Level 7 - Pendulum** _   
_**Dragon** _   
_**ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000 | Scale: 4** _

_**Pendulum Effect:** _   
_**Once per turn, you can reduce the battle damage you take from an attack involving a Pendulum Monster you control to 0.** _

_**Monster Effect:** _   
_**During your Main Phase, you can target one Pendulum Monster on your side field. This card gains equal to that Monster's ATK until the end of your turn. If this card battles an opponent's Monster, double the battle damage your opponent takes.** _

As their roars continued to echo out, it caused the ominous sky to become its normal blue self again.

"No!" Parasite-Yuri shouted.

* * *

_**~ Scene 4:** Winning Moves_

Now with everything that could save and/or protect them gone, Parasite-Yuri and Parasite-Serena could only stare at Yuya and Yuzu with horror, knowing what was about to happen.

"Arc-Eyes/Harmonia, attack Parasite King/Queen!" They shouted in unison.

With those words, their ace monsters began charging their attack, joined by their counterparts' aces through the power of the same Spell card.

 **"Dimensional Roar!"** Yuya, Yugo, Yuto, and Yushi shouted.

 **"Grand Finale!"** Yuzu, Rin, Ruri, and Ray shouted.

Both the King and Queen of the Parasites were hit by the respective five way attacks, which continued towards Yuri and Serena.

"We... we're actually..." Parasite-Yuri began.

"Going to... lose?" Parasite-Serena finished.

Both of them gave forced laughs before they were struck, making both Parasites fly out of the Fusion counterparts' ears before dissolving in the air.

**Yuri - 0 LP**

**Serena - 0 LP**

Everyone in the crowd began cheering, while the surviving Maiami Championship Duelists all stared at the results and showed their relief and/or joy in their own different ways.

"They did it." Reiji stated, smiling slightly.

It was only the battle and not the war, but that didn't alter the fact in any way.

The fact... that they had won against the overwhelming forces of Duel Academy.

* * *

**Hope you liked those scenes.**

**Also, while this story is technically complete as of these scenes... if you liked what I showed and want to see other scenes from what I implied in the summary? I can make another story that will show you more (except full duels, at best you'll get certain scenes from them), so let me know if you wanna see more scenes and which ones they are.**

**Thanks for reading to the end, you're all awesome! ^^**


End file.
